Parallels II
by MrQuinn
Summary: ((COMPLETE)): After saving the world again, the rangers enjoy some R&R. Meanwhile, Katie makes plan to leave. (Includes PR parody)
1. Closure

**_Disclaimer: _**_Power Rangers Time Force and all related logos are property of Disney and/or Saban Entertainment. I am using them without permission. KJ Sheldon, Lt. James Emery, Trinity Oliver, Camille Summers, Leo Claw and the "Omega Project" are property of yours truly._

**_A/N: _**_This fic takes place about a week after the end of Future Shock II._

_Please take a moment to review. I live for reviews!!_

**~~**

The doors to the communications room opened, and Commander Tommy Oliver walked in. There was another officer sitting in front of the controls, but the Commander cleared his throat, getting his attention.

"Commander," he said firmly, standing at attention.

"You're relieved ensign," he said calmly, the expression on his face remaining void of emotion.

"But sir, but duty shift isn't over until 0900 hours,"

"You're relieved ensign," he repeated.

"Yes sir,"

Without another word, the ensign hurried out the room. When he was gone, Tommy sat down in front of the controls, inputting a series of commands. "Computer, open a temporal subspace channel to these coordinates," he said.

_'Coordinates accepted, opening channel,'_ the computer responded.

A few moments later, the view screen in front of him blinked on, and there _she_ was. Seeing her light complexion, her long hair and honey brown eyes was enough to replace his emotionless expression with a warm smile. "Its good to see you again sweetie," he said.

"Hi daddy," she said eagerly. "Oh no, what's wrong?"

He shook his head. "Nothing, nothing at all. I pulled some strings and I've been allowed to keep in contact with you. From now on you'll have to deal with your old man a little more often," he said.

"Not that I'm not glad, but how did you pull that off? I thought that was violating some temporal directive or something,"

"Lets just say I know someone on the counsel. How are you sweetie?" he asked her.

"I'm fine. I'm about to start my first year of college in a few weeks,"

"Very good. And your mother? And Wes?"

"They're fine. The two of them are getting along really well, everything is great here. What about you? What's going on in the 31st century?" she inquired.

His thoughts shifted to the Harvenger invasion a few weeks ago, but didn't feel the need to bother her with the details. Instead, he decided to share happier news with her.

"I'm engaged to be married,"

"To that Jennifer girl? Congratulations daddy, I hope it works out for you," she said with a smile.

"Something tells me it will," he paused. "Listen Trinity, I know I haven't always been in a position to be with you the way I'd like to, and I won't be able to see you grow up the way you wanted me to, but you know I'll always love you, right?"  
  


"Of course daddy,"

"There's something I need to tell you," he took a deep breath. "Jen and I are… having a baby. I know I wasn't the greatest father for you, and I need to know you're okay with this," he said.

"Why wouldn't I be dad? This is great. I hope you and Jen are very happy together," she said.

"Thank you honey. Jen and I are taking some time off work for a while, getting things ready for the baby and for the wedding, but it'll be business as usual in a few weeks. I'm just trying to enjoy the time off while I can," he told her.

"You deserve it dad, but if Jen is having a baby, who's going to be the pink ranger?"

"What do you mean?"

"You certainly don't want her out there high kickin' and karate choppin' in her condition, do you? Its not good for the baby, not to mention the levels of radiation morphers produce," she told him.

"You know, I'd never even thought of that,"

"You may want to find someone else to be the pink ranger, at least until Jen has the baby and is back on her feet,"

"That's a good idea honey, thank you," he paused. "I have to get going, but we'll talk again soon. Same time next week?"

"I'm looking forward to it. I love you daddy,"

"I love you too Trinity,"

_'Subspace channel closed,'_ the computer told him.

It amazed him that he hadn't thought of it sooner. _'The radiation from the Morpher could hurt the baby, or even hurt Jen in this condition,'_ he thought to himself, but knew he wouldn't have the easiest time convincing Jen to step down as the pink ranger.

Talking to his daughter again had done him some good. Part of him felt guilty for having another child, knowing that he wasn't able to watch his first child grow up the way he'd wanted to. He could only imagine how hard it was for Kim, raising a child all only for the first few years, clinging to the idea that one day he'd come home.

But he never did.

_'At least she has Wes now. He'll be able to be the husband I couldn't be,'_ he sighed inwardly. There was something odd about the entire situation; Jen's "relationship" with Wesley Collins in the 21st century was well documented, likewise his marriage to Kimberly Hart was common knowledge, so the thought of Wes and Kim ending up together was nothing short of ironic. Then, almost 1000 years later, he and Jen were engaged. _'Poetic justice,'_ he thought.

With a smile on his face, he stood up, walking away.

*

For the last two weeks, Trip had been in the science lab, catching up on his work. Systems that required constant supervision and reconfiguring had gone unchecked, and the targeting sensors were still out of alignment, not to mention the mess the Harvengers left behind them.

"Okay, try them now," he called out, lying underneath a control panel.

James Emery sat at the controls, inputting the command sequence. "Beginning transport… now," he told him. He activated the transporter, then watched as the container they were experimenting with disappeared, then rematerialized in few seconds later across the room… but it was horribly twisted and disfigured. "I'm glad I don't have anywhere to go." He paused. "Maybe we should work on something else and come back to this later,"

"You're right, we should get to work on the secondary and reserve power cells. They took a pounding over the last few weeks and you never know when we might need them again," he said.

"You're expecting another invasion anytime soon?"

"No, but it pays to be prepared," 

"Trip, why are you burying yourself in your work?" James asked him.

"I'm not, I'm just trying to get everything working,"

"The repair teams and work on the power cells, you don't have to," Trip slid out from under the control panel, dusting himself off. "You're avoiding Camille, aren't you?" he asked.

"Of course not. Why would I be avoiding my girlfriend?" Trip snapped.

"I don't know, but you'd think after what the two of you had been through, you'd want to spend as much time together as you could. You've been locked away in this stuffy ass lab for the last two weeks, and Camille has been hiding out in the infirmary. The two of you really need to spend some time together. You know, catch up,"

"We won't have to _catch up_, we're already caught up. We're just busy. She's been working in the infirmary a few extra hours, and I've been…"

"Save it Trip, I know you better than that. I don't know why the two of you are avoiding each other, but you need to work it out. The two of you belong together, and it would be a shame for the two of you to drift apart. Go talk to her," James insisted.

Trip knew he was right, but somehow hearing it from Lt. James Emery didn't sit well with him. He didn't know why he was avoiding Camille… or rather, he didn't want to admit to himself why he was avoiding Camille. _'This is silly, it really is,'_ he thought. He knew Camille had been involved with other people before him, but the thought of her being involved with Leo Claw at some point annoyed him. _'It doesn't matter anymore. Even if they were together, it was years ago. Besides, Leo is gone. So why does it bother me so much?'_ he wondered.

He knew that sooner or later, he'd have to tell Camille how he felt, but wasn't sure how to approach the situation. _'Hey, I heard you use to sleep with the dead guy. Oh yeah, that'll work,'_ he groaned inwardly.

Finally, he shook off the confusion, turning his attention back to his work. "Come on James, we really need to get these power cells back on line, then I want to give the slipstream a few more tests before we officially bring it back on line," Trip said.

James sighed.

*

The two of them stood on the balcony overlooking the city. The sun was beginning to set, and the sunlight was reflecting off the clouds, giving them an orange-ish color. The wind blew gently, putting a chill down her spine. Alex quickly took off his jacket, wrapping it around her.

"Its beautiful, isn't it?" he sighed, turning his attention back to the view.

"Yeah, it is. You remember when we use to come out here every night?"

"How could I forget? I think about that all the time,"

"You do?"

"Of course I do. You're the only woman I ever really loved," he sighed.

"I didn't know,"

"Yes you did, you just didn't want to admit it," he turned to her. "There will always be a part of me that's in love with you, that wants to hold you the way I use to, but we both knew that can never happen. You've found someone else, and you're happy now, and that's all I ever really wanted for you," he told her.

"You must have hated me when I came back from my mission and told you I didn't want to be with you anymore,"

"I could never hate you Jennifer, but I knew that relationship was destined to fail. Now you're in a relationship that _can_ work," he put his hand on her stomach. "You're in a marriage that _will_ work. You're a mother now, and I expect you to be as good as that as you are with everything else," he said.

"I'll try,"

"And you have to promise I get to be Uncle Alex," he said with a smile.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," she sighed, resting her head on his shoulder as they watched the sun set behind the clouds.

*

The sun had finally set, and Camille found herself standing in the dark. The evening chill began to get the best of her, but she was determined to stay. She leaned down, trying to control her emotions as she stared at him tombstone.

"You were right, I _did_ act like I was too busy to come talk to you. I knew you were working in the special project division, but I was too busy dealing with my own life. I'm sorry," her emotions started to get the best of her as tears rolled down her face. "Its just that things are going so good for me now. I have a wonderful job, someone who really cares about me, and I'm doing a lot of good. I'm really helping people now, making a real difference in the world. When I was with you, we had good intentions, but we did a lot more harm than good. I was trying to leave that part of my life behind me, and I never meant to leave you behind too," she paused, wiping the tears from her eyes. "You'd really like Trip, he's a great guy, and he cares about me. We've made a lot of serious improvements with the Morpher technology; cloaking, site to site teleportation, tracking devices, there's more advanced now than they have been in the last ten years, and isn't that why we got into the special projects division in the first place?" she began to rub her wrist gently. "I still haven't told anyone about the Omega project, and I promise I'll finish it. I know that's what you would want. I'll miss you Leo," she sighed, setting a single white rose on his grave, then walked away.

*

"How are our patients doing?" Katie asked as she walked into the infirmary, making her way towards KJ and Nadira, who were each laying on examining tables.

Dr. Young walked over to Katie with a clipboard in hand. "I was able to attach the androids head and realign the circuit pathways, but I'm afraid there was a lot of damage to the cranial region," he told her.

"She isn't going to make it?"

"It can be reactivated, but most of the memory engrams were destroyed. I had to replace them with new modules, so it will have no memory of you or anything else," he told her.

"Why do you keep calling her _it_?" she inquired.

"She may _look_ human lieutenant, it may even _sound_ and _act_ human, but it isn't. After what it tried to do to us, the only thing I can call it is _it._ The only reason I agreed to repair it was it was a personal favor to you," he explained.

"You can't blame KJ for what she did, she didn't even know she was transmitting to the Harvengers. And in the end, when she could have helped eliminate the entire human race, she resisted her programming and did the right thing. She may not be human, but it was the bravest thing I've ever seen," she told him.

"I understand your feelings Katie, and I respect them," he paused. "Just as I hope you can respect _mine_ in this matter,"

"Of course doctor," she turned to Nadira. "What about my favorite mutant? Is she going to be alright?" she asked him.

"Her mutant DNA didn't fully accept the anti toxin you used, but she _is_ healing. Its going to take her a little longer, but all my tests say she is progressing well and she'll be back on her feet in a few weeks. In the meantime, I have to keep her sedated… just in case," 

"I see. Well, keep me posted," she turned back to KJ. "When will I be able to take her home with me?" she asked.

"I'd like to keep it… _her_ here until I can run a few more tests, but my guess is first thing in the morning you can come for her,"

"Thanks again doc," she said cheerfully, walking out the room.

*

"Lights," Camille said as she walked into her apartment. 

No sooner than she gave the command, the lights came on, and she headed inside, tossing the jacket of her Time Force uniform across the couch in the living room. She headed to the kitchen, only to find a pot simmering on the stove.

_'I didn't leave the stove on, did I?' _she asked herself, but before she could give it another thought, Trip rushed into the kitchen wearing an apron.

"Don't touch that, it won't be ready for another ten minutes," he told her, smacking her hand away.

"What are you in here burning?"

"I'll have you know I'm a master chef. Tonight we'll be having…" before he could finish his sentence, the smoke alarm went off. "Oh no, the turkey," he groaned, putting on a pot holder and opening the stove. Smoke filled the kitchen as Trip pulled the turkey out, setting it on the counter. "So, you wanna go out for dinner? My treat," he offered.

She giggled. "A for effort honey, but you should leave cooking to the professionals," Camille sighed.

"I just wanted to do something nice for you. I know you're a little down about…" he let his sentence trail off purposely.

"Is that was this is about? You think I'm upset about Leo?"

He nodded. "A little,"

She moved in closer to him, wrapping her arms around his waist and laying her head on his chest. "Leo and I were just friends back in the academy, and the two of us worked together down in special projects division, but that's as far as it went. I wish I'd gotten the chance to spend more time with him before he died, but I was never interested in him. Not like that. My heart, my soul and everything else belong to you. It always has, and it will until the day I die…" she paused."…again," she assured him.

"Thanks honey,"

"Now turn off the stove and lets get out of here. We can go over to the diner and get a cheeseburger," she suggested.

"I knew there was a reason I loved you," Trip said with a smile, kissing her on the forehead.

~~

The two of them walked into the diner, only to see Tommy, Jen, Lucas and Alex sitting at a table near the window.

"Is this a private party?" Camille asked.

"Don't be silly, have a seat guys," Tommy told her.

The two of them grabbed chairs from another table, moving over to their table and sitting down. "What are you guys doing here?" Trip asked.

"Not a whole lot we can do back at headquarters, the repair teams are still working on most of the essential systems. We figured it was best if we just got out their way, and none of us really felt like going home," Lucas told them.

"I'm glad you guys are here, you can help us think of names for the baby," Jen said eagerly.

Tommy turned to her. "Honey, I thought we'd settled on Carmen,"

"No, _you_ settled on Carmen. Just because that's what we named her in the future, it doesn't mean we have to name our baby Carmen. I make my own destiny,"

"I like the name Camille. Its pretty, yet charming," Camille brought up.

"I was thinking about something like Michelle or Rachelle,"

"How about an Xybrian name, like Ezri," Trip said proudly.

"I don't know, that sounds a little Star Trek-ish," Tommy said.

"Don't ever mention Star Trek in my presence," Alex snapped.

"What do you have against Star Trek?"

"You really don't know, do you?" Lucas asked.

Tommy shook his head. "Know what?"

"When Time Force originally started to experiment with time travel, the special projects division thought it the only thing that would be able to withstand the turbulence of going through a temporal vortex was the Q-Rex megazord. One person was selected to try a preliminary test with the Q-Rex, and Time Force allowed him to take the Quantum controller with him to control the zord just in case things got out of hand. The Q-Rex was lost in time, and the pilot was presumed dead… until the time line shifted," she paused. "Someone had taken knowledge of the future and sold the rights to the information to a television studio. The producers thought he was crazy, but he created a television show that was a cult-like favorite for over 100 years," Camille explained.

"Are you saying that the creator of Star Trek was a jumper?"

Alex nodded. "By the time we realized what happened, the time line had been too badly altered and the counsel decided that since it cause no immediate danger to the future, Commander Roddenbery could stay in the past. He died a few years later," he said.

"Gene Roddenbery was from the future?" he paused. "That certainly does explain a lot though," Tommy pointed out. "What other shows came from the future?"

"Sliders," Lucas said.

"VR Troopers," Trip brought up.

"The back to the future trilogy," Camille told him.

"Lost in Space,"

"One life to live," Alex said.

"One life to live? The soap opera?" Tommy inquired.

"You'd be surprised how many other things got started because of influence from the future. There was this one time when we…" Trip was cut short.

"Hello, we were suppose to be discussing baby names," Jen said, getting everyone back on topic.

"How do you feel about the name Trini?" Tommy asked her.

"I was always partial to the name Katie," Katie said as she and Adam walked over to them, each of them grabbing a chair and sitting down at the table. "When Emery said all of you were gone for the day, I figured I'd find you here," 

"I am _not_ naming my child after any of you," Jen snapped.

"So we can rule out Alexandra?" Alex asked.

"What about Tanya?" Adam asked.

"No."

Just then, the waitress walked over to them with a notepad in hand. "Are all of you ready to order?" she inquired.

"Just bring us a round of Pepsi for now," Trip said, speaking for the group.

"And some of those tasty bread sticks," Camille added.

The waitress giggled. "Alright, eight Pepsis and a order of tasty bread sticks coming up," she said, walking away.

"Jen, have you considered naming the daughter after a former ranger. How about Katherine, or Trini?" Lucas suggested.

"Or Alyssa," Trip added.

"No no and no. My baby isn't going to be a ranger, and she isn't going to be named after one. I want her to have her _own_ life and make her _own_ destiny," she explained.

"You should name her Carmen," Trip said.

"That's what I said,"

"We've got six months to figure it out, and I see none of you are going to be any help," Jen sighed.

"You know, this is nice. The eight of us here, together," Alex brought up.

All of them paused for a moment, realizing that it was the first time all of them had been together in a long time.

"Yeah, this _is_ nice," Jen said.

Just then, the waitress returned to the table with their drinks. "Here you go, just let me know when you're ready to order," she said as she handed each of them a drink, then finally giving Camille an order of bread sticks.

Alex picked up his drink, standing. "This may sound corny, I propose a toast," everyone quickly followed suit, picking up their glasses and standing up. "We've all had our ups and down, and I seem to remember one of you hitting me in the jaw," he glanced over at Camille, who blushed. "But through it all, we've been there for one another. Lets not let rank or our positions in Time Force ever get in-between our friendship," he said. "To friendship,"

"To friendship!" they all said in unison.

~~

**_Preview: New Beginnings_**

_Next time on Parallels II: Model A6 is reactivated, and Jen is forced to make a difficult decision._

_~~_


	2. New Beginnings

**_Disclaimer: _**_Power Rangers Time Force and all related logos are property of Disney and/or Saban Entertainment. I am using them without permission. KJ Sheldon, Lt. James Emery, Trinity Oliver, Camille Summers, Leo Claw and the "Omega Project" are property of yours truly._

**_A/N: _**_This fic takes place about a week after the end of Future Shock II._

_Please take a moment to review. I live for reviews!!_

**~~**

"You wanted to see me?" Katie asked as she stuck her head in the door of Alex's office.

Alex was sitting behind his desk working on his computer, but when he heard her voice, he looked up and turned his attention to her.

"Katie, come in. Have a seat," he said.

She walked in, closing the door behind herself, then sat down in front of the desk. "So whats up?" she inquired.

"I got a report this morning from the infirmary. Dr. Young tells me that you plan on reactivating the android," he said.

"Yes sir,"

"You _do_ understand that it came from Chryo Tech. The implications of allowing that thing to…" he was cut short.

"Permission to speak freely," she requested.

"Granted,"

"I'm tired of everyone calling KJ _it_ or a _thing_. She was the reason we were able to stop the Harvengers in the first place. When the time came to follow orders, she resisted her programming and did the right thing. I think we owe her for that. Besides, when Dr. Young repaired her, he had to replace her damaged memory emgrams with all new ones. When I do reactivate her, she won't even know who she is, much less that she came from Chryo Tech," she explained.

"You feel very strongly about this, don't you?"

"Yes, I do. KJ and I were becoming friends, all of us were. Its not her fault what she is, or where she came from. Besides, as long as she stays with us, I have no doubt she'll be an excellent addition to our team," Katie said with a tone of confidence in her voice.

"And how to the others feel about this?"

"Camille seems to be just as excited about it as I am," she said.

He paused. "Kathryn, I've come to trust you a great deal over the years. Your service record has been excellent, but there have also been other _colorful_ incidents in your career. Need I remind you about breaking into my office a few months ago and downloading classified information? Or how you organized a mutiny? Needless to say, those things don't reflect well on your record," he pulled a vanilla folder out the drawer of his desk, ripping the entire folder in half. "Which is why I'm removing them from your record,"

"You're what?"

"Time Force is changing Katie. The original counsel is gone, Logan is gone, and I'm the only active member of the new counsel. We survived yet another invasion, but it won't be the last. I need good, solid officers working for me, people who will follow orders but not blindly, and will do what it takes to get the job done. These papers don't dictate what kind of officer you are Katie, the things you do tell me the kind of officer you are," he stood up. "Which is why as of right now, I am promoting you to the rank of Lt. Commander," he told her.

"You're what?" she repeated.

"Congratulations Commander," he extended his hand to her. "And good luck reactivating your friend,"

She shook his head. "Thank you sir,"

"When she's ready, have her report to Dr. Hamilton for an evaluation. He's the foremost expect in robotics in Time Force, and you should let him make sure everything is in working order _before_ you take her to the lab," he said.

"Yes sir. Thank you sir,"

"Now go, I'll be expecting your report at 1300 hours," Alex said.

"Count on it," she said as she walked out the door.

*

Jen paced back and forth in the science lab, trying to be as patient as possible as Camille and Trip worked. The two of them had been at it for over twenty minutes, and every few minutes, they'd mumble something to each just low enough where she couldn't hear them.

"Come on guys, tell me what I need to know," she said.

It was Camille who turned around. "You're wearing out the floor Captain, just relax," 

"I can't relax, I need to know,"

"We'll know in just a sec. We just wanna be sure before we tell you anything," Camille pointed out, turning back to her work.

Just then, the doors to the science lab opened and Lt. Emery walked over to them. "Good morning Captain," he said.

"Lieutenant," she mumbled dryly.

"How are you feeling today?" he inquired, heading over to the control panel to begin working.

"I'm fine James," she sighed.

"Glad to hear it sir," he turned around, noticing Trip and Camille working at a lab station. "What are they doing?"

"Checking on something for me," Jen said.

"Anything I can do to help?"

She shook her head. "No, you have your own duties to deal with. If we need help, you'll be the first to know," she said.

"Thank you sir," he said, turning to her work.

_'I don't mean to be so hard on that guy,'_ she thought to herself. She'd noticed that she wasn't the only one; everyone seemed to come down on Lt. Emery. There was just something about him; something in the way he carried himself that seemed to bother people. _'He tries to hard to fit in, that's what it is,'_ she thought. _'Maybe if he didn't put in so much effort into trying to belong in the group, he would belong in the group,'_

"Captain," Trip said, breaking her train of thought and getting her attention.

"What is it Trip?"

"We've examined both your morpher and the morpher Carmen left behind. Believe it or not, your morpher generates more radiation than the one from the future," he said.

"How is that possible?"

"Its reasonable to assume that Tommy wasn't the only one who ever experienced problems with the radiation from morphers, so the designers must have taken that into consideration when creating this one. From what I can tell, this is me and Trip's handy work, I recognize a lot of the configurations in here," she said.

"You're saying you and Trip design that morpher in the future?"

"You sound surprised. It was _Admiral Summers_ who sent Carmen here in the first place, it stands to reason that Trip and I had a hand to putting it together," she said.

"So whats the verdict? Can I use the morphers?"

"Even though the morpher installed with the phased cloak and the Chrono armor emits much less radiation than your original morpher, we wouldn't recommend you using either of them in your condition. The results could be… lets just say not so pleasant," Trip said.

"But I _have_ to be a ranger, its what I do,"

"Right now you should concentrate on being a mother. Take a leave of absence, we'll work things out without you," she said.

"But you'll be a ranger short, especially with Nadira still in the infirmary," Jen pointed out. 

"Lt. Emery still has the silver Chrono morpher, we'll just take him with us on our missions until we figure something out," Camille said.

"Yeah, its about time we met the rookie clock some field time anyway," Trip added.

Lt. Emery did his best to give the appearance that he wasn't listening, but wasn't doing a very good job as he grinned from ear to ear.

"You're sure about this?" Jen asked.

"Positive. This is the best thing for the baby right now. Now go back to your quarters and get some rest. That's an order," she said.

"Who died and put you in charge?"

"_I _did. Now go," Camille insisted.

"Thanks guys," she sighed, walking out the lab.

*

_'Tommy to Katie,'_ a voice said.

Katie reached for her Morpher. "Katie here, what's up Tommy?" she asked.

_'Trip, Camille and I are about ready down here. Are you joining us?'_ he inquired.

"Oh yeah, wouldn't miss it for the world. I'll be there in five minutes," she said.

'We'll wait for you. Tommy out,' 

Katie turned her attention back to KJ, who was laying on the examining table. Dr. Young walked over to her.

"You sure this is what you want to do?"

"Positive," she said.

Dr. Young opened a small panel on the side of KJ's head, revealing circuitry, then flipped a switch and closed the panel. Katie watched as KJ opened her eyes slowly, sitting up.

"How are you feeling?" Katie asked.

"A self diagnostic of internal systems indicates that Model A6 is functioning within programmed parameters. However, there appear to be several memory emgrams missing," she said dryly.

"There was an accident, you were injured. The doctor had to replace the emgrams with new ones," she told her.

"Understood. How may Model A6 be of service?" she asked.

"First of all, you're not going to call yourself Model A6 all the time, are you?"

"The designation of this unit _is_ Model A6,"

"Okay, but you need a name,"

"A name?"

"Yes, something for others to refer to you as," she said.

"Model A6,"

Katie shook her head. "Look at me, I'm a female, but no one calls me female. They call me Katie," she said.

"Female is your designation, but your name is different?"

"Correct."

"What is Model A6's name?"

"Well, before the accident, we called you KJ," she said.

"KJ will be sufficient," she paused. "How may KJ be of service?" she inquired.

"When you refer to yourself, you don't have to say your name," she paused. "I have to go, there's work to do. While I'm gone, have Dr. Young escort you to one of the labs on deck four and read some of the personnel files and logs so you can get an idea of what Time Force is about. When I come back, we'll talk more," she told her.

"This is Time Force?"

"Yes,"

"And you are employed here?"

"Yes,"

"Is KJ employed here as well?" she asked.

"No. You're a civilian, you have no job,"

"So how can KJ be of service if KJ has no function to serve?"

"It will take time, but you'll get there. In the meantime, just read up on some of the logs and personnel files. When I come back, I'll answer many questions you have," she said.

"Understood," KJ said.

"This is going to be harder than I thought," she sighed as she walked out the infirmary.

~~

Katie walked into the science lab a few minutes later, where Tommy and the others were waiting for her. "So what's on the to do list for today?" she asked them.

"Nothing too complex this time. The targeting sensors should be back on line, so we're going to give it a quick run through. Lt. Emery, I want you to stay here and assist Captain Scott with the science lab. In her condition, she won't be able to do very much, so do what you can to make things easier on her," Tommy said.

"Yes sir," he said eagerly.

"Trip and Camille will be coming with us," he said.

"Where is Adam?"

"He won't be joining us for this mission, its just the four of us," Tommy said.

"Once you make it to the other side, I'll send you any information I have on that world. Remember, the targeting sensors may still have a few glitches in them, so it may take me a while to compile the information," Lt. Emery reminded them.

"Understood,"

James walked over to the control panel, activating the slipstream. The blue, swirling vortex began to form, and Tommy was the first to step through. Camille and Trip grabbed one another's hand, stepping through at the same time. Katie was the last, stopping a few inches away from the slipstream of turning to Lt. Emery.

"We're counting on you James," she said to encourage him.

"I won't let you down sir," he said proudly.

With a smile, Katie stepped through the vortex, disappearing…

*

The four of them stepped through the portal, only to find themselves in a barren wasteland. There was no grass, no trees, no buildings… nothing. There was a thick fog that seemed to surround them, and an unusual humming sound.

"Everyone okay?" Tommy inquired, turning to the group.

"We're okay, but where are we?" Camille replied, speaking for the group.

"There are no signs of technology of any kind. No buildings, no people. Either this world hasn't acquired technology let, or this is the aftermath of a serious battle," Trip mentioned.

"I don't see any signs of a battle, so we can rule out a war of any kind. The first thing we should do is find shelter of some kind, then worry about finding out more about this world," Tommy suggested.

They began to walk, but Katie stopped dead in her tracks. "Guys, am I the only one who smells that?" she asked.

"What?"

"The air… there's something in the air… I think it's…" before she could finish her sentence, she collapsed, falling to the ground.

"Katie," Tommy rushed over to her, trying to help her up. "Wait, I smell it too. There's something in the air, something toxic. We need to get out of this fog now," he snapped. 

They did their best to hold their breath as Trip and Tommy carried Katie. The fog was so thick, it was difficult to see through, but Camille managed to find a building of some kind. They made it to the entrance, and Tommy kicked it in, helping Katie inside. Camille quickly shut the door behind them, finally let out a sigh of relief.

"The air seems better in here, but not by much," she said.

"What the hell is in the air?"

"I don't think there's anything in the air, I think the atmosphere has been depleted on this world," Trip mentioned.

"What do you mean depleted? What could have happened to all the oxygen?"

"There are a number of things that could cause an entire planet to lose its atmosphere; there could have been a war here years ago, and the planet hasn't recovered yet. Maybe the O-Zone layer was so badly damaged that harmful rays from space contaminated the air. It could be almost anything," he explained.

"So you're saying the atmosphere gave out all of a sudden, and the entire population died?" Tommy asked.

"This much damage couldn't have happened all at once. It would take months, even years before the atmosphere got _this_ contaminated," Camille brought up.

"So if the people on this world had a heads up on what was happening, they had a chance to prevent it. Where are they?" he asked.

_'Commander Oliver, this is Lt. Emery. Do you read me?'_ a voice said.

Tommy reached for his morpher. "I hear you James, what can you tell us?" he inquired.

'The year is 2017. Two years prior to that, there was a huge battle of some kind between humans and mutants. The mutants lost, but they used a bio-chemical weapon against the humans. Their plan was to wipe out the human population with one stroke, but they didn't anticipate that the weapon would affect them as well. Countless billions died in what they're history calls the Chemical Wars, and the after effect was the complete destruction of Earth's atmosphere. No shuttles of any kind could be constructed quickly enough to make an escape, so the survivors fled underground,' Lt. Emery told them.

"That explains why we can't find anyone. They're all underground," Camille said.

'Some of the survivors were able to adapt to the lack of atmosphere, and their bodies adjusted to their new surroundings. The result was the evolution of an entirely new species. The humans and mutant who didn't adapt now work together to fight off their new species,' he said.

"Why are they fighting?"

'This new species constantly attack the underground bases, killing off the survivors one by one,' he said.

"So the question is how do we get to one of these underground bases without running into this new species ourselves?" Trip asked.

'According to the maps I have for that time frame, the building you're in is about 1.6 miles away from a cave. Head east, and that cave will lead you into one of the underground camps,'

"Excellent work James. We'll be in touch. Tommy out," he said.

"So now we know what happened here, but why did the atmosphere effect Katie quicker than the rest of us?" Camille asked.

"Her half demon side must not be able to deal with the atmosphere. We should get her to the base, maybe someone there can help her," he said.

"But taking her back out there is only going to make things worse. Two of us should go and someone should stay here with Katie to keep her safe. If the people in the caves can help, you'll have to bring one of them back here with a treatment," Trip said.

"You stay here. Camille and I will see what we can find out. If we morph, it should allow us to breath for a limited time before the fog gets to us," he said.

"If something goes wrong, call me,"

"Count on it," he turned to Camille. "Okay Cam, lets get going,"

~~

The two of them walked as quickly as they could, but with no real sense of direction, and not being able to see through the fog, they had no idea how close they were to the cave. In the distance, they heard a thump.

"You hear that?"

"Yeah, but what was it?"

"I'm not sure, but stick close just in case," Tommy said.

They continued to walk, and through the fog, Camille was able to find what looked like a cave. "I think I found it, over here," she said.

The two of them made their way towards the cave, but were cut off when _someone_ attacked them. Neither of them could see very well, but what Tommy _did_ see, it was a humanoid creature, but with gray-ish skin and a yellow eyes.

"Something tells me these guys aren't here to lead the way," he said.

"Kick ass now, ask questions later,"

"Good plan," Tommy said.

They called for their Chrono sabers, charging at anything in the fog that moved. One of the creatures jumped on Camille's back, but Tommy swung, slicing the creature enough to make it let go. As it fell to the ground, two more creatures grabbed Tommy, tackling him to the ground. Camille tried to help, swinging her saber, but accidentally slicing Tommy across the stomach.

"Oh my God, Tommy," she screamed.

Something hit Camille from behind, and as she fell to the ground, she was forced to power down. Without her ranger uniform to protect her from the fog, she quickly passed out.

~~

Camille opened her eyes, leaping forward in a cold sweat as she glanced around. From the looks of it, there was no fog, and she was inside one of the caves.

"Relax, you were wounded and we brought you here," a voice said.

Someone approached her, and she was able to get a good look at them. At first glance, he was human, maybe in his mid thirties, but with a huge scar on his face.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Daniel. My people found you being attacked by the Cromags and fought them out, then brought you here," he said.

"Cromags? Is that what you call them?"

"Yes. I am curious though, how have you survived on the surface after the Chemical War?" he asked her.

"I'm not from around here," she paused. "My friend, where is he? He was hurt, and I…" she was cut short.

"I'm afraid the Cromags got to him before we could. I'm sorry, there was nothing more we could do," he sighed.

"Oh God, Tommy," she sighed, falling to her knees.

"You said you aren't from around here. Where are you from exactly?" he asked.

"Its hard to explain. Right now, I have another friend in a building we found about a mile from here. She was exposed to the fog and passed out, is there anything you can do for her?" she replied.

"Once someone is exposed to the fog, they begin to change. There is nothing we can do to prevent the change, the only noble thing to do is to kill your friend now before she completely turns into a Cromag," Daniel told her.

"You aren't very helpful," she paused. "I'm sorry, you _did_ save me, but I have to get back to my friends,"

"I'm afraid I cannot let you leave this cavern. You see, allowing you to leave with knowledge of the location would put our resistance in jeopardy. If you were to tell the Cromags where we are, it would…" he was cut short.

"I have no intention of telling anyone where you are. I just want to get back to my friends," 

"Again, I'm afraid I cannot allow that," he repeated, this time pointing a weapon at her.

"I don't want to hurt you Daniel," she warned.

"Do you honestly think you _could_ hurt me?"

"You'd be surprised," she got into position. "_TIME FOR, TIME FORCE,"_ she called out, attempting to transform into the blue ranger, but was unsuccessful. "What the hell?"

"These caves are lined with a special metal. It prevents the fog from getting in and infecting us, and it also emits low levels of Thorolon radiation, which will prevent your device from working," he told her.

"Thorolon radiation? Do you have any idea what that is?"

"Yes. It has kept us safe for over 18 months now," he told her.

She shook her head. "No, it doesn't. Thorlon radiation is lethal if you're exposed too long, it'll begin to mutate your DNA, changing you into…" she paused. "Cromags," she sighed.

"You have no idea what you're talking about, these caves have been a safe haven to us for months now," he insisted.

"The Chemical War wasn't the only cause of the mutations, it was coming to these caves. The fog was only part of a binary compound. After the war, you came here because you had no choice, but the caves began to affect the fog, mutating you into Cromags," she explained.

"That isn't true,"

"How many people escaped into these caves with you at the end of the Chemical War?" she asked.

"A little more than 300 hundred,"

"And over the last 18 months, how many of them have you lost?"

"A little more than 100,"

"And how many Cromags are there?"

"No one knows for sure. None of us are sure how they even adapted to the fog. Somehow, they find their way into our caves and attack us, killing our people. They dispose of the bodies and continue on their killing spree without mercy," he explained.

"No, they don't. After being exposed to the fog, they came down here and your people slowly turn into Cromags. That's why when someone disappears; a Cromag somehow discovers where you are. Think about it Daniel, put it all together,"

"If what you say is true, why aren't all of us turning into Cromags?"

"If I'm right, some of you are mutants. My friend back in the building is half mutant, which means the fog won't effect her as quickly. And since she wasn't exposed to both compounds radiation, she probably won't be affected at all. In your case, humans are probably changed quicker than mutants, which explains why not everyone has turned into a Cromag," Camille explained.

"The building you speak of, it was constructed from materials found here in the cave. There are no doubt small traces of Thorolon radiation in the building. If your theory is correct, your friend will in fact be changed, though it may take longer," he said.

"There is a cure for Thorolon radiation exposure. If I can treat all your people, it will prevent any of you from turning into Cromags. Eventually, the fog on the surface will lift, and your people will be able to return to the surface," she said.

"You have a cure?"

"Not here, not with me. Help me get to my friends, and I promise I will help you and your people. If we get to them in enough time, I may even be able to treat some of the Cromags that have already been changed," she said.

"I don't believe you," he said dryly, pointing the weapon at her firmly.

Before he could pull the trigger, it was Tommy who hit him from behind with a rock, knocking him out cold. As he fell to the ground, Tommy stumbled over, holding his stomach in pain.

"So, who's your new friend?" he groaned.

"Oh God, are you alright?"

"I'll live,"

"I know what's happening to these people, and I know how to help them. We need to get back to the building and get to Katie," she said.

"You'll have to go on without me. I don't think I'll make it," he sighed.

"You will, you have to," she said as she draped his arm over her shoulder, helping him out the cave.

~~

Trip held Katie in his arms, rocking back and forth as he waited for the others to return. Katie hadn't moved an inch since they left, and now, her skin was beginning to change color. She was covered in a cold sweat, and she was shaking slightly.

"Come on Katie, you'll snap out of this. I know you will. I _need_ you to snap out of this. Camille and Tommy will be back any minute now, and they'll be able to help us," he sighed.

At that moment, a group of Cromags stormed the building, surrounding Trip. He carefully put Katie on the floor, and then stood up.

_"TIME FOR, TIME FORCE,"_ he called out, transforming into the green ranger. 

He was prepared for them, but none of them seemed to be making a move. One of the Cromags approached him slowly, holding its arms in the air. Trip watched cautiously as two more of the Cromags walked over to Katie.

"Stay away from her," he snapped.

"No… harm," a voice said.

Trip was barely able to make out the sound, but realized what he was trying to say. "No harm?" he inquired.

"We mean you… no… harm," another voice said.

"Who are you?" he asked.

One of the Cromags walked over to him, extending a hand to him. "I am… Ma'Jin. I was… human. But I was… changed. We mean you… no harm. We only… wish… to… help you," it said.

"How can you help?"

One of the Cromags lifted Katie up slightly, pouring a liquid into her mouth. Katie coughed, but a few moments later, opened her eyes.

"What's going on?" she groaned.

"It will stop… the change. She… is safe… now," Ma'Jin told him.

"Thank you,"

"We tried to… help the others… like you. They were… attacked by… the humans," he said.

"Near the caves?"

"Yes,"

"We have to find them," Trip said.

"That won't be necessary," Camille said as she stumbled into the building, still holding Tommy up. Trip rushed over to her, laying Tommy down on the floor.

"What happened?"

"A person in the cave tried to kill me. If it hadn't been for Tommy," she paused. "Wait a sec, we're in trouble, aren't we?" she asked, realizing the Cromags surrounded her.

"No, the Cromags aren't violent. They helped Katie," he said.

"No… harm," one of them said.

"I believe I know how to cure you, all of you, but I don't have to equipment I need here to cure the Thorolon radiation you've been exposed to," Camille said.

"We… have… cure here," Ma'Jin said.

"If you do, why don't you give it to the humans?" Katie asked.

"My bet is that they try, but whenever they get into one of the caves, they're cut off and killed by the humans. They aren't even giving the Cromags a chance to tell them why they came," she said.

Ma'Jin nodded. "Yes. Only wish… to help,"

"How much of the cure do you have?"

"Plenty,"

"It isn't the fog that causes the change, it's the Thorolon radiation in the cave reacting to the fog. If we can neutralize the radiation in the cave, it will stop your people from changing," Camille said.

"If you're right, neutralizing the cave will take millions of gallons of the cure, and I doubt they have that much. The only way to stop them from changing is to destroy the caves and force the humans out of it. Without the radiation to infect them, they'll adapt to the fog," Trip said.

"But how would we destroy the cave?"

"Thorolon radiation is highly flammable. If we fire our phasers in concentrated bursts, it should be enough to destroy the caves," he said.

"Sounds like a plan. Katie, are you able to walk?" Camille asked.

"A little groggy, but I'll manage,"

"Good. We need you to stay here with Tommy, he's hurt pretty bad," she said.

"Wait a second, I'm the Commander here. I give the orders," Tommy said.

"You're right, I'm sorry,"

"I'll stay here with Tommy, he's hurt pretty bad," she said.

Camille couldn't help but giggle. "Trip and I will morph and use our phasers to get rid of the caves, that should solve their problems on this world,"

"Get on it,"

"Yes sir," she said as she and Trip headed out, followed by the Cromags.

~~

The Cromags led them through the fog and back to the caves, where a group of humans were waiting for them, each of them with weapons in hand.

"I should have known you were here to help the Cromags!" Daniel screamed.

"We're here to help all of you. We have a cure to the Thorolon radiation, it will prevent anyone from changing," Trip said.

"We don't believe you. The Cromags are mutations, creatures to be exterminated, and you're helping them," he said.

"Fine, have it your way," Camille said, aiming her phaser at the cave.

"What are you doing?"

Without a word, she fired her phaser, holding the beam in one spot. Trip grabbed her phaser, shooting the exact same spot and holding the beam in place.

"Yes… yes… yesssss," Ma'Jin hissed as he watched on.

That's when it hit her. _'The phaser to will enough stop the radiation poisoning, but it will destroy these people's home as well. The Cromags aren't interested in curing them, they want to turn all the survivors into Cromags,'_

Camille dropped her phaser, turning to the Cromags. "Its over. We won't help you," she said.

Trip quickly followed suit, dropping his phaser. "You know what you're doing, right?"

"Don't I always?"

"We mean… no harm," Ma'Jin said.

"Yeah yeah, cry me a river. You don't want to help these people; you want to turn them into Cromags. Our phasers have already neutralized the Thorolon in the caves to the point that no one else we be changed. Soon, those people will be able to leave the caves and come back to the surface, and when they do, you'll find yourselves sorely outnumbered," she told them.

"You will… not… help?"

"No, we won't," she said firmly.

"Then you… will… die," he said.

He raised his arm to attack them, but it was Daniel who fired his weapon, taking Ma'Jin down with one shot. The remaining humans aimed their weapons at the Cromags.

"Leave this cave and never return," Daniel announced.

The Cromags, realizing it was a losing battle, disappeared into the fog. Once they were gone, Daniel walked over to Camille. "I apologize for how I behaved earlier, I didn't know what you were trying to do," he said.

"I understand. Sorry my friend hit you in the back of the head with a big ass rock," she sighed.

"All is forgiven. Here," he handed her a small potion. "Your friend was badly injured, this should sustain his condition until you can get him medical treatment," he said.

"Thank you,"

"May peace be with you," Daniel said as he watched Camille and Trip disappear into the fog.

~~

The two of them returned to the building, where Katie was tending to Tommy.

"How did it go?" she asked.

"We worked it out. Here, give him this," Camille said, handing Katie the small flask.

Katie quickly lifted Tommy up, pouring the liquid into his mouth. They all remained silent and watched on as Tommy opened his eyes.

"Hey guys. What did I miss?"

"Nothing, lets get the hell out of here," Trip reached for his Morpher. "Trip to Lt. Emery, come in," he said.

For a moment, there was silence.

'Trip, this is Jen. What's up?' a voice asked. 

"We're ready to get outta here. Can you help us out?"

_'Sure. Standby,' _she said.

A few moments later, the vortex appeared.

~~

Preview: Traditions 

Next time on Parallels II: Trip's family insists that he return home as part of an Xybrian tradition.

_~~****_


	3. Traditions

**_Disclaimer: _**_Power Rangers Time Force and all related logos are property of Disney and/or Saban Entertainment. I am using them without permission. KJ Sheldon, Lt. James Emery, Trinity Oliver, Camille Summers, Ambassador KaMen, Ensign Anthony Clark, Leo Claw and the "Omega Project" are property of yours truly._

**_A/N: _**_This fic takes place about a week after the end of Future Shock II._

_Please take a moment to review. I live for reviews!!_

**~~**

She knew it was for the best, but she couldn't stand sitting on the sidelines while the others were off on their mission. _'Going out there would endanger the baby, I have to stay here,'_ she told herself, and it was true, but boredom alone was getting the best of her.

_'I don't see how Logan did this all the time,'_ she sighed, sitting at the controls in the science lab, waiting for Tommy and the others to open a channel and ask for information. Though it was critical to every mission to have someone going through the logs and relay information, she still felt useless. _'I should be out there, in the thick of things,'_ she grumbled inwardly.

"Captain Jennifer Scott," a voice said, breaking her concentration.

She turned around as KJ walked into the science lab, making her way towards her. "How did you get in here?" she asked.

"Have I entered a restricted area? I apologize. I will leave at once," she said, turning to walk away.

"Wait," Jen called out, realizing that, with the exception of Lt. Emery, who she had working on another project for the moment, KJ was the only other person she'd seen in the last three hours. _'I could use the company,'_ she thought. "Come back, its okay," 

"Are you certain? I do not wish to violate any regulations,"

"No, its fine. Have a seat," Jen told her.

"You wish for me to take a seat with me?" she asked, picking up a chair from one of the workstations.

Jen couldn't help but giggle. "No KJ, I mean sit down. You are welcome to stay and talk to me," she assured her.

KJ put the chair down, carefully sitting down. "As the female Katie instructed me, I have reviewed all personnel files and logs for Time Force employees, and downloaded the rules and regulations for all Time Force officers. Your designation is Captain Jennifer Scott, correct?" she inquired.

"Yes, but you don't have to call me by my whole name and rank,"

"But that is your designation. It would be impolite to call you anything other than…" she was cut short.

"Jen will be just fine, but in formal situations, you should call me Captain," she told her.

"I understand," she paused. "Should I call you Jen now, or is this a formal situation?"

"Jen is fine,"

"Very well Jen. What do you wish to converse about?"

Jen's mind drew a complete blank. "Um, it doesn't matter. I've been cooped up in here for three hours now, I just wanted some company," she said. "Tell me about your day,"

"I see. I began the day with a self-diagnostic of all operating systems, and discovered a 1.6 percent increase in my synaptic pathways. As instructed, a reviewed all personnel files and logs for Time Force officers, downloaded the regulations of each officer, and read star charts for this sector of the galaxy and approximately 37 others. At the request of Ensign Anthony Clark, I became familiar with the entire building. Ensign Clark referred to it as _the grand tour_. From there, I attended a briefing with Counsel member Alexander Collins at 1100 hours, who informed me that I will be given a duty roster upon my completion of an evaluation from Dr. Hamilton in the infirmary," she explained.

"Have you seen Dr. Hamilton yet?"

"Affirmative,"

"What did you think of him?"

"I do not understand,"

"Did you like the guy?"

"I neither liked him or disliked him. He merely performed his task for me. However, I did notice that he was quite efficient," KJ told her.

Jen shook her head. "You've got a long way to go KJ," she sighed.

"I do not understand,"

"Its just that…" they were cut short when an alert went off. Jen quickly turned to the control panel. "There's an incoming transmission… from Xybria," she said.

"Xybria…" she paused for a moment. "Xybria is in the Orion nebula, approximately 27 lights years from our current position. It is also the home world of Lt. Trip, who is at present time the green Time Force ranger," KJ mentioned.

"You've done your research, I'm impressed," she opened a channel. _'Time Force, please respond,'_ a voice said.

"This is Captain Jennifer Scott from Time Force. With whom am I speaking?" she asked.

_'I am Ambassador KaMen from Xybria. I wish to speak to your Xybrian officer, Trip,'_ he told her.

"Trip is currently on a mission, but is scheduled to return shortly. Would you like me to relay a message to him?"

_'Only that it is imperative for him to return to Xybria at once. Our traditions dictate that me must return at once for the ceremony,' _he told her.

"I assure you Ambassador, when he returns I will inform him," 

'Thank you Captain,' 

"That man was… rude," KJ pointed out.

"Keen observation, I wonder what all that was about," Jen sighed.

_'Trip to Lt. Emery, come in,'_ a voice said.

James stood up, dusting himself off and made his way towards the controls, but Jen motioned him to stop. "I can take care of it James, you go ahead and finish up what you're doing," she said.

"Yes ma'am," he said, going back to his work.

Jen turned her attention back to the control panel, opening a channel. "Trip, this is Jen. What's up?" she asked.

'We're ready to get outta here. Can you help us out?' 

"Sure. Standby,"she said.

She hurried over to the Slipstream, entering a sequence of commands. Only moments later, the slipstream activated, and moments later, the swirling vortex appeared. Jen turned around and watched as Katie and Trip helped Tommy through the portal. The last one through was Camille, but when she was through, the vortex began to shrink, until it eventually disappeared altogether.

"Oh God, what happened?" Jen inquired, walking over to the group.

"I'll be fine. I just need to get down to the infirmary," Tommy groaned.

"I'll take him," Lt. Emery said, helping Tommy out of the lab.

"Looks like you guys had an interesting time," Jen mentioned.

"You could say that. What about you? How'd you occupy your time?"

"I watched some paint dry, then I counted the tiles on the ceiling. That's about it. KJ kept me company," she said.

"That must have been an interesting conversation," Katie brought up.

"I thought so," 

"I found my conversation with Jen very… informative," KJ said cheerfully.

Jen turned to Trip. "Trip, you just got a transmission from Ambassador KaMen, he said it was urgent for you to come home," she told him.

Even before she mentioned what it was about, Trip realized it. "Oh God, the ceremony," he sighed.

"What's the ceremony? He really wouldn't get into detail, other than tradition demanded you come home for it,"

"The ceremony of The Joining. In Earth terms, it's a wedding," he said.

"Oh goody. Who's getting married?" Camille asked.

"I am," he sighed.

~~

The four of them headed into the conference room, each taking a seat at the table. "Okay Trip, start explaining," Camille snapped. "What the hell do you mean you're getting married?"

"On Xybria, once a male turns a certain age, you are entered into the Joining. Your parents pre-select the female you're to be Joined with, and the ceremony is performed. On the Xybrian calendar, I have come of age and its time for _my_ Joining," he explained.

"You mean like a pre-arranged marriage?" Jen inquired.

"Yes,"

"So who is she Trip? When were you going to tell me about her?" Camille snapped.

"I don't know who she is, I've never met her. Tradition states that we cannot meet until the time of the Joining. And I wasn't going to tell you, I have no intention of marrying anyone…" he paused when he noticed the look on Camille's face. "Yet,"

"What kind of ass backwards planet sets up blind marriages and expects their kids to go along with it? Its sick,"

"It's the way our people have survived for thousands of years. Two people are selected for one another based on their knowledge and experience, each of them with a specific function in the Joining. No doubt the woman my parents have selected is a farmer of some kind," he told them.

"It makes sense, people are put together based on their weaknesses. The other has what the first one lacks, and vice versa," she said.

"Okay, it makes sense, but we're not making Trip go through with this are we? I mean, he's been with Cammy for as long as I can remember. We can't bust them up so he can run off to Xybria to marry Farmer Jane. I know its tradition, but we have traditions of Earth too, and Trip should have the right to pick," Katie brought up.

"I have to go, our traditions demand it," Trip said.

Jen was about to say something, but Camille cut her short. "Then I'm going with you," she said.

"What?"

"I'm going to Xybria with you to talk some sense into your parents. It may be the way you've done things on Xybria for years, but we do things differently here on Earth. On Earth, you're mine!" Camille snapped.

"I don't think that's such a…"

Camille turned to Jen. "Captain, permission to prep a shuttle for launch?" she asked.

"Granted,"

"I'll meet you in the launch bay in ten minutes honey," Camille said, walking out the room.

Trip sighed.

*

"You sure you're ready to come home?" Jen asked him as they walked down the hallway towards their quarters.

"Dr. Young stitched me up and I'm ready to get home. I'll stay off my feet for a few days, but I'll be fine," he insisted.

"With Camille and Trip gone for a few days, they'll be plenty of time to rest,"

"I couldn't imagine being in a society where I wasn't allowed to pick who I would spend the rest of my life with," Tommy said as the two of them walked into their quarters.

Jen quickly tossed her Time Force jacket on the couch, sitting down and putting her feet up on the table. "Honestly, the world may have been better off it we'd done things like that. How many times, especially in the 21st century, did people marry someone they weren't compatible with? It would lead to a messy divorce, and if there were children involved, there was a nasty custody hearing. Children were forced to pick which parent they wanted to live with, or worse, forced to live with a parent they didn't want to be with," she said.

"To me, the ends don't justify the means. It's our right as humans to be allowed to decide who we're going to be with the rest of our lives. I can't imagine my parents coming to me on my 21st birthday and saying _'Here son, we found you a wife,'_" he told her.

"I know what you mean, but just because the way they do things on Xybria aren't the way we do things here, it doesn't make it wrong,"

"It doesn't make it right either. Trip has been on Earth for years now, and he should be given the choice of whether or not to _join_ with this female," Tommy said.

"I agree, but we can't interfere with the customs of other worlds. That's a decision that Trip will have to make on his own. Either way, we'll support him," 

"When the time comes, Trip will do what's best… for him," he said.

Jen paused. "Ya know, this incident got me to thinking… maybe you should come to meet my parents," she said.

"Really?"

"Yeah. I mean, we're having a baby, and we're engaged. I know my parents would want to meet you," she said.

"I don't know if I'm ready for that," he sighed.

"It won't be so bad. My father is a little protective of me, but my mom will love you. With Camille and Trip gone, and Katie with her hands full with KJ, this is the perfect time to take a trip to my parent's house," she said.

"Where do they stay?"

"In Stone Canyon. They still stay in the house my family grew up in. It'll only take us about an hour to drive there, it'll be great," she said.

"This means a lot to you, doesn't it?"

"Yes, it does. My mother never approved of me dating Alex, she said he had a stick up his ass and was too stuffy, but I know they'll love you," she said.

"Did you ever tell them about Wes?" he asked, unsure if he even wanted to know the answer.

She shook her head. "No, I didn't feel the need to tell them. It was never going to work out. Besides, they're civilians, we're not permitted to discuss our missions with them. All they knew was that I was out on assignment," Jen told him.

"So do you plan on telling them about me? About where I'm from and how we met?"

"Sometime tells me I won't have to," she smiled. 

*

"Computer, initiate launching procedures," Camille said.

_'Launch procedures initiated. Do you wish to disembark?'_ the computer asked.

"Yes,"

'Launce sequence in progress,' 

The shuttle lifted off, and once they were far enough away from Time Force headquarters, Camille engaged the hyper drive engines. "Set a course for Xybria," she said.

_'Course set,'_ the computer told her.

Trip sat next to her in complete silence, unsure of what to say to her. _'If there's anything I can say to her,'_ he thought. It was simply the way things were on Xybria. Growing up, no one questioned traditions, they were simply accepted. When a Xybrian came of age, they were introduced to their life mate, and they were Joined. It was as simple as that. There were a few occasions where it was challenged, but ultimately, it was useless.

He loved Camille with every ounce of his being, and he knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. He had every intention of being with her, completely forgetting about his obligations back home. In the back of his mind, he always knew the day would come, but he always put it off, telling himself he'd deal with it when the time came.

_'Well, here it is Trip. What are you going to do now?'_ he asked himself.

"So what are you going to do now?" Camille asked him, breaking his train of thought.

"I don't know," he sighed.

"Do you love me?"

"Of course I do,"

"Do you want to be with me?"

"You know I do,"

"So why are we even going to Xybria? Why not just call that Ambassador guy and tell him you've already found someone else? He'd understand, wouldn't he?" she asked.

He paused. "Are you a religious person Camille?" he replied.

"I went to church every Sunday with my mother and father. After my dad died, we kinda stopped. Why?"

"What if someone came to you and told you everything you knew about religion was stupid, and that they knew a better way for you to live your life? What would you tell them?"

"I'd tell them to mind their own damn business. I've had my beliefs all my life, and there isn't anyone that could come along and tell me…" she paused. "I get your point,"

"This is the way it's been on my world for thousands of years, its what my people believe in. For me to tell them that its wrong, and the way do things isn't the way it should be would be a slap in the face not only to my parents and my people, but to the religion they've put their faith in for countless generations," he explained.

"You're not going to go through with this, are you? Are you going to marry this girl?" Camille asked him.

"I don't know what I _can_ do. I can't turn my back on my traditions, but I can't turn my back on you either," he sighed.

"How do you think this is going to make me feel? How am I suppose to…" he cut her short.

"This entire conversation has been about how _you_ feel about it. What about me? How do you think _I_ feel about it? You think this is want I want to do? You think I want to turn my back on the most wonderful woman I've ever met to go home and marry a stranger? I know this bothers you, but it bothers me too. Stop making it sound like _I'm_ doing this to you. It isn't me. This isn't what I want. I want to stay on Earth, to be a ranger, to be with you," he cried, making no effort to stop the tears as they rolled down his face.

"I'm sorry," she sighed.

Without a word, he pushed a button on the control panel, and then got out his seat, wrapping his arms around Camille. 

_'Autopilot engaged. Estimated time to arrival, 13 minutes,'_ the computer said.

"If this is going to be the last time I get to hold you, let's just enjoy it," Trip said.

She shook her head. "No, I won't accept that. We're in a shuttle, we could just leave. We've got enough fuel to take us to the next star system, we could just run away. We'll settle down on an M class planet in some far out galaxy and be together," she cried.

"We can't,"

"Trip please?! I need you. I can't lose you to a complete stranger. I need to be with you," she paused. "What if we stay on Xybria and _I_ marry you? We could live the rest of our lives on your planet if we have to," she suggested.

"They would never allow it. This is how it has to be Camille," he looked at her, wiping the tears away from her eyes. "I'll never love her Camille, not the way I love you. I may be married to her, but I will always belong to you," he said.

"I love you too,"

It was at that moment that something in his mind clicked. Suddenly, a decision was made, and it was perfectly clear to him. It all made total sense to him. Trip backed away from Camille, turning back to the controls. "Computer, how long until we reach Xybria?" he asked.

_'Nine minutes,'_ the computer said.

"Increase speed by 50%," he said.

_'Speed increased by 50%. Estimated time to arrival, 3 minutes,'_ the computer announced.

"Trip? What are you doing?" Camille asked, wiping her face.

"Ending this once and for all," he said with a monotone look on her face.

  
**TBC**

~~

Preview: Traditions pt. 2 

Next time on Parallels II: Trip comes face to face with his father. Meanwhile, Jen takes Tommy home to "meet the folks"

_~~_


	4. Traditions pt 2

**_Disclaimer: _**_Power Rangers Time Force and all related logos are property of Disney and/or Saban Entertainment. I am using them without permission. KJ Sheldon, Lt. James Emery, Trinity Oliver, Camille Summers, Amanda "Mandy" Scott, Mr. & Mrs. Mathew Scott, Leo Claw and the "Omega Project" are property of yours truly._

**_A/N: _**_This fic takes place about a week after the end of Future Shock II._

_Please take a moment to review. I live for reviews!!_

**~~**

It was the first time she'd been home in months. Normally, she spoke to her parents on the phone at least three times a week, just to check in and let them know that everything was okay. Lately, that hadn't been the case. She'd been on missions, dangerous missions, including one that prophesized her death in the 21st century. Then, she still hadn't found the best way to tell them she was expecting a baby of her own, so she'd done her best to avoid her parents until she came up with a way to tell them.

They pulled up in front of a small, white house with a picket fence. It was enough to make Tommy crack a smile. _'Even in the 31st century, they still have little old fashioned houses,'_ he thought to himself. Honestly, seeing the little house made Tommy feel right at home. Over the last year, he'd gotten use to the new technologies of the future, but was still feeling a bit homesick for the simple things in life. It was to see that even in the future, some things hadn't changed.

He quickly got out the car, rushing around to the other side to help Jen out, closing the door for her. She smiled warmly.

"Such a gentleman," she sighed.

"Always,"

It was Jen's idea to wear civilian clothes. After all, they were taking a personal day, and there was no need to wear their uniforms during off duties hours. Besides, Tommy was convinced that Jen simply wanted to conceal her figure until she told her parents the truth. She wore a baggy pink sweater and a pair of black jeans. Normally, Tommy wouldn't have disapproved of her wearing tight pants, but in her condition, he cautioned her against it. Of course, she didn't listen.

Tommy simply threw on a pair of jeans and a red T-shirt. At first, he was convinced he was under dressed for the occasion, but Jen assured him that it was be a casual environment.

Jen rang the doorbell, waiting silently for someone to come to the door. It didn't take long before the door opened, and there _she_ was. 

"Amanda," Jen squealed.

"Jenny," the young woman squealed, quickly opening the door and wrapping her arms around Jen. The two of them held one another for a moment, then took a step back, getting a good look at each other.

"Wow, you look great," she said.

"And I see someone has been growing a little," Jen said, pointing to her chest.

The girl blushed slightly, doing her best to cover herself. "Don't be mad because I developed quicker than you," she turned to Tommy, who stood off to the side with his hands in his pockets. "And who is this?" she asked.

"This is Tommy… my fiancée," she said proudly. "Tommy, this is my little sister Amanda," she introduced.

"Hes a hottie," she said.

Tommy blushed, waving slightly.

"Are mom and dad here?" she asked.

"Yeah, come in. Wait til they hear the news," she squealed, stepping aside and allowing them in.

The first thing Tommy noticed were the pictures on the wall. Most of them were pictures of Jen and Amanda, all of them lined up on the wall. There was a mantle over the fireplace in the living room, which was covered with pictures as well. He picked up one picture of Jen, who, at the time, couldn't have been any older than ten years old. She was wearing a ballerina outfit and holding a small trophy.

"That was Jenny in the fourth grade dance recital," Amanda said, walking over to him. "Wasn't she the cutest thing?"

"She still is," he said with a smile.

A few moments later, an older man walked into the room. He used a cane to keep his balance, but other than that, he appeared to be in good shape. The man glared at Tommy briefly, then turned his attention to Jen.

"Jenny, its so good to see you," he said.

Jen walked over to him, wrapping her arms around him. "Hi daddy," she sighed, kissing him on the cheek.

"Whos your friend?" he asked her.

Before she could answer, a woman walked into the room wearing an apron, drying her hands with a towel. "If you had told us you were coming Jenny, we would have cleaned up a little," she said, rushing over to her and kissing her warmly on the forehead.

Jen turned to Amanda. "Mandy, can you give us a few minutes with mom and dad?" she asked.

"Sure. Its good to see you again sis," she said.

"You too,"

Amanda rushed out the room, and Jen motioned for Tommy to stand next to her. "Momma, daddy, this is Tommy. We're getting married," she said proudly.

Jen's father stared at him. "You look familiar, have I seen you around here before?" he asked.

"I don't think so sir," Tommy said calmly.

"So where's the ring?"

"We haven't picked one out yet," Jen said.

"You got engaged before he bought you a ring? At least that Alex fella had the sense to get the ring first," he said.

"Mathew," her mother said, punching her husband in the arm. "Give the young man a break. They're young," she said.

Jen's father extended his hand to Tommy. "Don't mean to give you a hard time son, but the last man who proposed to my little girl didn't exactly work out right," he said.

"I understand sir," he said, shaking his hand firmly.

"You sure I haven't seen you around before? Did you and Jenny go to the academy together or something?" he asked.

"No sir,"

This time, it was her mother who walked over to Tommy, staring at him. Suddenly, it occurred to her who he was. "Oh my God, it can't be," she sighed. Tommy was noticeably uncomfortable as Jen's mother stared at him, touching his cheek. "Its not possible, is it?"

"What is it Cynthia?" her husband asked.

"Its Tommy Oliver," she said.

"Tommy Oliver, it can't…" he paused, taking another look at Tommy. "Good heavens it is. You're Tommy Oliver," he said.

"Yes sir," Tommy blushed.

"I remember reading bedtime stories to Jenny and Mandy about Tommy Oliver and the legendary Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Jenny's favorite was always the one with the white tiger zord, but how is that possible? How can you be here?" she asked.

Tommy glanced over at Jen, who, with a reluctant sigh, nodded at him. "Momma, daddy, I think there are some things you need to know," The four of them sat down in the living room; Tommy and Jen sat on opposite sides of the room in chairs, while her parents sat next to one another on the couch. "Before we even start, you need to understand that what I'm about to tell you is classified information. If you tell anyone, you'll not only put me in danger, but you and Mandy as well," Jen mentioned.

"We understand," her mother said.

She took a deep breath. "Mom, dad, Tommy and I are Power Rangers," she said.

Her father couldn't help but laugh. "My daughter? A ranger? That's impossible," he paused. "If you're a ranger, where is your belt buckle morphing thing?" he asked.

"Technology has come a long way since then," Tommy took off her Morpher, tossing it to her father. "It's called a Chrono Morpher now,"

The two of them stared at the Morpher in amazement. "So its true," her mother sighed.

"About a year ago, Tommy was awakened from Cryogenic containment and put back on the active duty list," she said.

"I remember reading about experiments with Cryogenic research a few months back, but certainly they didn't have the technology to do something like that over 1000 years ago," her father said.

"They did, but it wasn't common knowledge back then. Tommy contracted radiation poisoning, and the only way to save him was to cryogenically freeze him until a cure could be found. Once he was put back on the active duty list, he became the red ranger," she explained.

"So the two of you have been working together for over a year now?"

"Yes sir," Tommy said proudly.

"This is a lot for us to take in honey, you're going to have to give us some time," her mother told her.

"I understand how all this seems like a lot. We came here today because we wanted to get your blessing before we got married. Its important to me that you approve of this," Jen said.

"Jenny, we've always supported you in everything you do. This time won't be any different," she said.

"Thanks momma,"

"Wait a minute, if you're a ranger, where is your Chrono thing?" her father asked.

She paused. "I won't be able to use my Chrono Morpher for a while. The radiation that it emits would complicate my… pregnancy," she said.

"You're pregnant?" her mother asked.

"Yes ma'am,"

"Oh my goodness. My little girl is all grown up and having a little girl of her own…" she rushed over to Jen, wrapping her arms around her. "It _is_ a little girl, isn't it?"

"We're pretty sure it is,"

"This is wonderful. We have to start planning the baby shower, and the wedding, and the honeymoon. Oh my God there's so much to do," she said.

"I think we can handle the honeymoon on our own mom, but thanks," Jen sighed.

"Wait til your brother finds out about all this. I'm sure he'll want to catch the next flight home. After all, it isn't everyday that his sister is pregnant with a celebrity child," she said.

"I'm not a celebrity," Tommy pointed out.

"So modest, and handsome too," her mother said.

"Really, I'm not,"

"Nonsense, we've been reading about your missions as a Power Ranger since _we_ were children. You're a legend, and its an honor to welcome you to our family," her father said.

"Thank you sir,"

"The two of you have to stay for dinner. I'm making your favorite, tuna casserole," she said.

"Sounds great mom," Jen sighed.

"You two head upstairs and get washed up. Dinner will be served in fifteen minutes," she told them.

*

The shuttle touched down on the landing pad on Xybria, where groups of Xybrians were waiting for them. The door to the shuttle opened, and Trip stepped out holding Camille's hand proudly. The crowd parted, and Trip's parents made their way towards them.

Camille noticed how much Trip looked like his father, all the way down to the quirky look on his face and green hair. His mother, on the other hand, had long flowing black hair with green highlights, but each of them had a jewel in their forehead. There was a young woman with green hair as well, who, Camille observed, looked a lot like Trip as well. It was easy for her to conclude she was Trip's sister.

"Son," his father said, extending his arms to him. "It is wonderful to see you,"

Trip remained still. "I know why you called me here, and I can't do it. I won't go through with the Joining," he told her.

Camille stood a step forward. "Trip? I thought that…" he cut her short.

"Let me handle this Camille," he walked up to his father. "My entire life I did what was required of me and did it without question. I was everything you wanted me to be, and when it was time for me to leave home and go to Time Force academy, you didn't approve. Once I was gone, you accepted that it was _my_ choice and _my_ life, and I would have to make my own decisions. Well I have, and I've done well for myself," he motioned for Camille, who cautiously walked over to him. "This is Camille Summers. The two of us have been together for a while now, and I love her. I know that I've come of age and its time for me to participate in the Joining, but I can't, not if it means leaving Camille. I love you, and we're going to be together, even if that means going against our traditions," he explained.

"My son, I don't think you…" he cut him short.

"No dad, I _do_ understand. You taught me to stand up for what I believe in, and I am. Camille and I are going to get married with or without your blessing," he snapped.

"Son," his mother walked towards him. "We did not call you here for you to be Joined," she told her.

"What?"

Just then, _he_ walked over to them. "Trip," Camille said.

He was the mirror image of Trip, except for a few minor differences. Since coming to Xybria, he'd gained a little weight, and grown some facial hair. In all the confusion, she'd completely forgotten about the _other_ Trip who returned to Xybria almost a year ago.

"Brother," he said.

Trip walked over to him, wrapping his arms around him. "How is life on Xybria treating you?" he asked him.

"Great. Once I came back from Earth, your parents… _our_ parents welcomed me with open arms. They understood that I wasn't you, but I was you… kinda. When we came of age and it was time for the Joining, I told them you had already found your lifemate and that it wouldn't be fair them to take you away from her. They agreed to allow me to be Joined with your lifemate here, so you wouldn't have to," he explained.

"You mean I…" he turned to his father. "I apologize father, I had no idea," he sighed.

"Your mother and I know you've made your own decisions in life, and we wouldn't think of burdening you with our beliefs. You have your own life path, your own destiny," he told him.

"So you called me here so…"

"So you could see me be Joined," the other Trip said. "It may get a little confusing, but I wanted you to be the one who presented me to my lifemate," 

"It would be an honor,"

"Hi, I'm Camille," she said awkwardly, walking over to Trip's parents.

"She is just as beautiful as you described her to be Trip," his mother said.

"Thank you," both the Trips said in unison.

"I hope that when the time comes for your Joining with this young lady, you will invite us to the… what is it called on Earth?"

"The wedding," he said.

"Ah yes, the wedding,"

"It would be my honor to have you give me away sir," Camille said.

"Well, I told my superiors we'd be gone at least two days. We should make the best of it," Trip said, putting his arm around Camille.

"Sounds good to me," she sighed.

*

"Jenny, why didn't you tell me you were dating _thee_ Tommy Oliver?" Amanda asked her, pulling her to the side in the kitchen.

Tommy was sitting awkwardly at the table as Jen's parents put the finishing touches on dinner. "I didn't tell anyone," she said.

"But this is _me._ Come on, we use to tell each other everything,"

"I know, but this is different. There are some things I have to keep to myself. Its for your protection," she said.

"You have to protect me from your fiancée? He doesn't have a fetish for little girls or something, does he?"

"That's not what I mean. There are a lot of things going on in Time Force that I can't tell you or anyone else about. I'm a Captain now, I have certain responsibilities," 

"What about your responsibility to _me_? You promised to come home and help me when I graduated high school and I was ready to go to the academy," she sighed.

She sighed. "I know Mandy, but things have been so complicated at work for me. I have some time off coming up soon, and I promise to come home and help you with your entrance exam," she said.

"I _already_ took my entrance exam and I was accepted. I start at the academy next week," she told her.

"Oh my God, this is great,"

"Yeah it is, but I wanted this to be something I could share with you. You don't get it, do you? You've been so busy with your new boyfriend and getting knocked up that you forgot about me," she snapped.

"I could never forget about you Mandy, never," she sighed.

"How am I supposed to know that when you're never around? You use to come home every weekend, you came home for holidays and you spent time with me, but I haven't seen you in almost six months. The last time you were here, you came to pick up some things. You didn't even come talk to me. There are things going on in my life, important things, and I wanted to share them with you. I have a boyfriend now, I have plans for the future, and its been hard not having my big sister here to talk to about it," Amanda explained.

"I'm sorry Mandy, I had no idea," she wrapped her arms around her. "I had no idea you were going through so much, but now that I do, I promise to be here for you more often,"

"You better be," she sighed.

"I will," 

*** Two days later ***

The shuttle docked in the shuttle bay, where Lt. Emery and Adam were waiting for them. The door to the shuttle opened as Trip and Camille stepped out.

"Trip? You came back," James said.

"You weren't expecting me?"

"Well, I thought you were going to…"

"We'll tell you all about it later. Right now, I just wanna get in the shower," he said.

"Anything interesting happen here while we were gone?" Camille asked.

"Naw, just the usual super hero save the world stuff. You've seen one apocalypse, you've seen'em all," Adam told her.

"You'll have to tell us all about it after we get out the shower," she said.

"Why are the two of you so eager to take a…" he paused. "Oh, never mind," Lt. Emery sighed as the two of them walked away.

~~

**_Preview: Dreamscape pt. III_**

Next time on Parallels II: Katie contracts a disease and slips into a coma, only to awaken over 20 years later.

_~~_


	5. Dreamscape pt 3

**_Disclaimer: _**_Power Rangers Time Force and all related logos are property of Disney and/or Saban Entertainment. I am using them without permission. KJ Sheldon, Lt. James Emery, Trinity Oliver, Camille Summers, Amanda "Mandy" Scott, Mr. & Mrs. Mathew Scott, Leo Claw and the "Omega Project" are property of yours truly._

**_A/N: _**_This fic takes place about a week after the end of Future Shock II. Dreamscape pt 1 & 2 appear in the original "Parallels" series._

_Please take a moment to review. I live for reviews!!_

**~~**

_……beep……_

_……beep……_

_……beep……_

_There was a certain pattern to it, a rhythm. It remained steady, constant, and on some subconscious level, she'd been listening to it the entire time. She was never really sure what it was or why it was beeping, but it was somehow comforting._

_……beep……_

_……beep……_

_It seemed to be getting louder, stronger, closer. She wasn't sure how or why, but the pulse like sound seemed to be coming towards her. Finally, in an effort to see how or what it was, she opened her eyes. There was nothing but light as far as she could see, and it was a blurry light, making it almost impossible to see. Soon, her vision between to normal, and she had was able to determine where she was._

_'The infirmary? Why am I here?' she wondered._

_She tried to recall the circumstances leading up to her being taken to the infirmary, but was drawing a complete blank. _'Was I on a mission? Was I injured?'_ she asked herself._

_It took almost all her strength, but she sat up on the examining table, glancing around the room. For the looks of it, it had to be after hours in the infirmary; no other patients and most of the lights were off for the evening. She looked to her left, where they was a young woman sitting next to her. She was leaning up against the wall in a chair, fast asleep. _

_"Who…" before she could even finish her sentence, the young woman sat up with her eyes wide open._

_"You're awake. Oh God, you're awake," she said eagerly._

_"Um, yeah. I am,"_

_The girl reached for a Morpher. "Cynthia to Admiral Kendall," she said._

_Katie watched on in amazement._

'Lucas here. What is it Cindy?'_ a voice said._

_Katie recognized the voice as Lucas, but was baffled by what the young woman called him. _'Admiral?'_ she thought to herself._

_"Its Katie. She's awake," she said eagerly._

'Assemble the senior staff and have them meet me in the infirmary in five minutes. I'm on my way down there,'_ he said._

_"Understood," she quickly walked over to the control panel next the examining table, pressing a button. "Cynthia to all senior staff, please report to the infirmary immediately," she said._

_Katie grabbed her wrist. "Who are you? And what the hell is going on?" she inquired._

_Cynthia stared at her strangely. "You mean… you don't know?" she paused. "I suppose you wouldn't," she said._

_"Know what?"_

_"You've been in a coma for the last twenty years," she told her._

_Katie's eyes got wider. "What?"_

_"When the senior staff get here, we'll try to explain it all to you. I promise," Cynthia assured her._

_Shortly afterwards, Lucas walked into the infirmary along with four other people. At first glance, Katie observed that Lucas looked much older; he even had a full head of gray hair, a mustache and a beard. Next, she recognized Tommy, and just like Lucas, appeared much older. The other three people were unfamiliar to her._

_"Katie, its so good to see you up and around again," Lucas said, walking over to her and wrapping his arms around her._

_"What the hell is going on?" she snapped._

_It was Tommy who turned to Cynthia. "You're dismissed Ensign," he said sharply._

_"But dad, I…" he cut her short._

_"That will be all Ensign," he said firmly._

_"Yes sir," Cynthia groaned reluctantly, walking away._

_"Did she just call him dad?" Katie asked._

_"There's a lot we need to talk about Katie," Lucas mentioned._

_"I'll all ears,"_

_"First, let me introduce you to the senior staff. You already know Admiral Oliver and Captain James Emery," the man behind Lucas nodded slightly. After looking at him a second time, Katie realized that he was in fact James Emery, but with a full beard. "This is Commander Elizabeth Summers and Commander KJ Sheldon," he introduced._

_Katie stood up, walking over to the woman with short brown hair. "KJ? My KJ?" she mumbled._

_"I am very pleased to see you have been reactivated Katie," she said warmly._

_"What the hell happened to me?"_

_"Approximately twenty years ago, you returned from a routine mission on the slipstream project, you had been infected with a dose of Thorolon radiation. Apparently there was a disease on that world. When you returned, you went through a standard decontamination procedure, but the decontamination in conjunction with the Thorolon radiation had an adverse effect on your Ethros DNA, altering you in a sub atomic level. Your body went into full shut down, allowing yourself the time needed to repair the damaged cells, but you never woke up… until now," Lucas explained._

_"And I've been out for twenty years?"_

_It was Tommy who took a step forward. "Yes. None of our doctors understood why it was taking you so long, but a few years ago, we'll in a specialist from the Ethros home world. After studying your condition, he was able to determine that the Thorolon radiation altered your DNA in such as way that it made your Ethros side work almost 78% slower than it normally would. Though you'd been completely healed for years, your mind needed the time to adapt itself," Tommy told her._

_"I remember the mission, but I also remember everything being just fine when we got back," she said._

_"No doubt your mind, during the regeneration process, forced you into a dream state in an attempt to keep your higher brain functions active," he said._

_"So I've been in a coma for twenty years?" she asked. Even after saying it several times, it was hard for her to come to terms with._

_"You'll come to discover there have been a lot of changes in Time Force since the last time you were on active duty. In time, we'll explain everything to you," Commander Summers assured her._

_"Right now, we need to let Dr. Haskins run some tests on you to make sure everything is okay. When he's cleared you, I'll have security escort you to my office. We'll catch up, I promise," Tommy said._

_~~_

_For the next 45 minutes, she allowed herself to be examined by a doctor she'd never seen before. Over the years, she'd become accustomed to being examined by Dr. Young, or even Dr. Hamilton, so it was awkward for her to have a stranger looking at her._

_"Well…" she scoffed, waiting for him to pass judgment._

_"Physically, I don't see anything wrong. There are no more traces of Thorolon radiation in your bloodstream, but what I'm worried about is your mental condition," he told her._

_"Listen doc, I'm fine. Really, I just need to go talk to my friends," she said._

_"I'm not sure that's a good idea. The last thing you need to do overwhelm yourself. Talking to your friends about your past could do more damage than…"_

_"Unless you plan of chaining me down to this bed, which still wouldn't help you much, I'm going to talk to my friends," she told him._

_"They told me you were stubborn,"_

_"They told you right," she said proudly, walking out the infirmary._

_~~_

_Katie had been wandering up and down the halls in Time Force for nearly twenty minutes, trying to make her way to Tommy's off. Her first stop was deck 6, but it was nowhere to be found. Next, she headed to the science lab, hoping that someone there would be able to help her, but the lab wasn't even there anymore. Finally, she made her way to deck 8, under the impression that someone in memory adaptation could at least point her in the right direction, but the entire memory adaptation center was gone._

_After another 10 minutes of aimless roaming, she was cut off by security. "Lt. Commander Taylor, can you come with us please?" one of the guards asked her._

_"Where are you taking me?"_

_"The Admiral wants to see you," the other said._

_"Fine, take me to your leader," she said jokingly, but neither of them laughed._

_The two of them led her down the hallway, then to the last door on the left. Each of the guards stood on either side of the door, motioning Katie to enter._

_As soon as Katie walked in, she saw Tommy sitting down behind his desk going through some papers. She closed the door, forcing him to look up._

_"Kathryn, Dr. Haskins said you threatened him, then walked out the infirmary about 35 minutes ago. Where have you been?" he asked._

_"Looking for you,"_

_"I told you I'd have security escort you down here. Things have changed around here," he said._

_"So I see,"_

_He let out a sigh. "Just have a seat. I'm sure you have a lot of questions,"_

_"You damn right I do. Where is Jen? And Trip? And Camille? How long have you been an Admiral?" she asked._

_He took a deep breath. "About a year after your accident, Jen went on a mission to the Fikus sector to help the Katerrians with a plague on their home world. Before a cure could be found, she contracted it as well. Her condition began to deteriorate rapidly, and she was told that the baby could be saved, but she wouldn't survive the procedure," he paused, wiping a tear from his eye. "The baby was born healthy, with no traces of the disease, but after the birth, things got worse for Jen. Within 48 hours, she was gone," he sighed._

_"I'm sorry, I had no idea," she mumbled._

_"No, of course you didn't," he said. "After Jen died, nothing was the same around here. Alex committed suicide, Trip and Camille both retired, and as the highest ranking officer in Time Force, I appointed myself Admiral and tried to pick up the pieces," he explained._

_"It must have been hard on you, having to raise a child on your own and rebuild an entire company," she said._

_"You don't know how many times I waited for you to wake up. I kept thinking if you had been here, things would have been a lot different for me. But you never did," he sighed._

_"I'm sorry,"_

_"Don't be, none of it was your fault. Besides, its not like I've been completely on my own. KJ was a tremendous help, and once Cynthia turned 16, she applied to the academy. Camille and Trip let Lizzy apply to the academy too, and both of them moved through the ranks rather quickly," he brought up._

_"Well, if it means anything to you, I'm ready to do my part," Katie said eagerly._

_"I know you mean well, but you'd have no idea how to function in this era. Things are different, the people are different, the technology is more advanced than anything you've ever used. You'd have to go through the academy again just to learn half the things most of the cadets already know," he said._

_"You're telling me I'm… obsolete?" _

_"I wouldn't put it that way, but…" he paused. "Yeah, I guess so,"_

_"There has to be something I can do, something to make myself useful around here," Katie said._

_He shook his head. "Nothing I can think of off hand. I appreciate that you want to help, but to be honest with you, there were a lot of major systems you weren't familiar with even in your day,"_

_"Are you saying that I was obsolete back then?" she asked._

_"No, of course not. I'm just saying that you didn't have a grasp of all the major systems," Tommy told her._

_She never felt the need to learn all of the technical inner workings, always confident in the fact that Trip and Camille would be there to handle everything. '_But that isn't the case anymore, is it?_' she thought to herself. Both Camille and Trip were gone, and she had no real idea how anything worked._

_"So what am I suppose to do now? Retire? Just go home and try to catch on the twenty years of my life that were stolen from me?" she snapped._

_"I understand you're upset, I know what its like to wake up and everything you thought you knew was gone. You can adjust, its just a matter of what you really want to do," he said._

_"I want to go back to my life. Things were just starting to look up for me. I just got a promotion, I was finally over losing Ransik, I had KJ to look after, and I was about to make my move on…" she let her sentence trail off for a moment. "What ever happened to Adam?" she asked._

_"He married Nadira about fifteen years ago, the two of them had triplets; two girls and a boy. They both retired from Time Force not too long after," he said._

_"Adam and Nadira? I always thought she'd end up with Lucas,"_

_"She did end up with Lucas, but he was killed about six months after they got married," he said._

_"Oh God," she put her hand over her mouth, trying to deal with the shock. "Is this what I have to look forward to? All my friends dying? Leaving? There's nothing in this time for me, nothing at all," she sighed. "Just send me back,"_

_"You know I can't do that. It would disrupt the space/time continuum,"_

_"I don't care, I want go to back. No one would even know. I could go back to a point before any of this happened," she said._

_"And this time line would cease to exist. Do you really want to sacrifice the lives of countless millions who have been born over the last twenty years before you don't like how your life turned out?" he asked._

_"All of them will be born. They're lives will be different, but they'll all be born… eventually,"_

_"You can't say that for sure,"_

_"And you can't say that letting me go back will change things. I can't live my life like this Tommy, feeling obsolete, in the way. I don't belong here," Katie cried._

_"You don't belong here any more than I belonged in your time when I woke up, but I made the best of it. I know you Katie, you're strong willed and…"_

_"Don't you mean stubborn?" she asked._

_He giggled. "Yes, I suppose so,"_

_Then, it happened… she heard it again, just as clearly as the first time._

_……beep……_

_……beep……_

_She glanced around the room, noticing that things seemed to be getting lighter. "What's going on?" she asked._

_"What do you mean?"_

_"Don't you hear that?"_

_……beep……_

_……beep……_

_"I don't hear anything. Are you sure you're okay?" Tommy asked._

_"I'm fine, it's just that damn beeping sound,"_

_……beep……_

_……beep……_

_"Maybe I should get you back down to the infirmary," he suggested._

_The light seemed to be getting brighter… and brighter… and until finally she had to close her eyes to protect herself from the light. She began to feel light headed, and before she could stand up, she passed out._

~~

_……beep……_

_……beep……_

Katie opened her eyes, sitting up in a cold sweat. Her clothes clung to her as she glanced around the room, only to find herself in the infirmary.

"What the hell?" she groaned. She glanced over, noticing that Adam was leaning in a chair next to her examining table fast asleep. Judging on the position he was laying, he wasn't very comfortable. "Adam?" she mumbled.

That was enough to make Adam leap up, turning his attention to her. "Oh God, you're awake," he reached for his Morpher. "Adam to Tommy, you should get down to the infirmary. She's awake," he said.

_'On the way,'_ a voice answered.

"For a minute there I didn't think you were going to snap out of it," he said.

"Adam, please tell me what the hell is going on,"

"You and the others went on a mission, you were exposed to Thorolon radiation. The radiation had an adverse effect on…" he was cut short.

"My Ethros DNA. How long was I out?" she asked.

"Two days," he said.

"Two days? That's it? Oh thank God. It was only a dream," she said, wrapping her arms around him.

Just then, Tommy walked into the infirmary, making his way over to her. "Glad to see you're back on your feet Commander," he said.

"Thanks,"

"Dr. Young said while you were out, your REM patterns were up almost 1000%. He said your mind constructed a dream world to keep your brain active while your body healed itself. Judging on the tossing and turning you did, it must have been a hell of a dream," he mentioned.

"Trust me Tommy, you have no idea,"

~~

Preview: Mimic 

Next time on Parallels II: The rangers face off against a shape shifter. Meanwhile, Jen is given a new position in Time Force.

_~~_


	6. Mimic

**_Disclaimer: _**_Power Rangers Time Force and all related logos are property of Disney and/or Saban Entertainment. I am using them without permission. KJ Sheldon, Lt. James Emery, Trinity Oliver, Camille Summers, Amanda "Mandy" Scott, Mr. & Mrs. Mathew Scott, Leo Claw and the "Omega Project" are property of yours truly._

**_A/N: _**_This fic takes place about a week after the end of Future Shock II._

_Please take a moment to review. I live for reviews!!_

**~~**

"I'm tellin' you, it all seemed so real," Katie said, pacing back and forth in her quarters. Ever since waking up from her coma, she'd been having recurring dreams. "Its always the same, I wake up twenty years in the future. Tommy is an Admiral, you're a Commander, Jen is dead, and then sometimes Lucas is there… but then he isn't," she told her.

"Please elaborate. What do you mean Lucas is there, but then he isn't?"

"Well, when I first wake up, he's there. But later, when I talk to Tommy in his office, he tells me that Lucas is dead. I don't know what it's suppose to mean," she said.

"Perhaps it isn't supposed to mean anything. The human mind is fragile and erratic; your sub-conscious can create almost anything while in REM sleep. I have read over 28 literary works in the past 12 hours and they all come to the same conclusion: the human mind has no real rhyme or reason in a dream state," she pointed out. 

"I can't help but feel that the dream was trying to tell me something. There's another part where Tommy told me Jen went to the Fikus section to help with a plague, but is infected. He told me that it was about a year _after_ I went into the coma, but considering that Jen is almost three months pregnant now, she should have had the baby long before that mission," she pointed out.

"Again, you are attempting to bring order to chaos. Your dream was only meant to keep your mind stimulated until your body could be healed,"

"I don't know KJ, something tells me its more than that," she grabbed a set of star charts, laying them out on the table in front of her. "As of right now, Time Force hasn't even launched a probe into the Fikus sector. Don't you find it strange that I'd be able to have a dream not only about a region of space we've never explored, but an entire a race of people from a planet we've never been to?" she asked her.

"It is no doubt an enigma, but you have no conclusive evidence that there is a race of beings known as the Katerrians. If you feel so strongly about this, why not go to Counsel member Collins and request a shuttle to the Fikus sector. If you knew conclusively if the Katerrians were there, perhaps you would feel better about it," KJ suggested.

"I've checked the logs, a regular ship wouldn't make it to the Fikus sector. There's something about a large buildup of Barrion particles in that sector, it makes it almost impossible to fly a shuttle through it," 

"Then perhaps what you need is something a little bigger than a shuttle,"

"What do you suggest?"

"You should have a conversation with Lt. Summers or Lt. Trip, surely one of them knows how to modify a shuttle that will allow you to pilot a shuttle through the Barrion particles," she said.

"Yeah, but…" she paused. "This is silly, I'm sure there's nothing out there. Like you said, dreams don't always make sense, I'm just being silly," Katie told her.

"Still, seeking the truth is what Time Force was founded on. Whether or not this race of people is there, or if they have a plague is irrelevant. Your desire to _know_ should be enough," she said.

Katie paused. "I have some leave coming up in a few weeks. Maybe I'll take a trip to the Fikus sector and see what's there," she said.

 "Very well," KJ stood up. "I must leave. I have pre-arranged plans to meet Ensign Clark," she said.

"Is this a date?"

 "He has reserved time for the holographic simulator and is taking me to a 21st movie theater. I believe our feature presentation is _Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure,_" she told her.

"There was nothing excellent about that adventure, trust me," Katie sighed.

"I will return at 1830 hours to check on you," KJ said, making her way out the room.

*

Alex sat behind his desk in his office, waiting for _her_. When she originally put in her request for a personal day for the holiday, he knew right away where she were going. _'I can't believe she took him to meet the parents,'_ he sighed inwardly. If he needed any more indication that he and Jen were never going to get together, that was it. 

Then again, that wasn't exactly a secret. 

From the moment he decided to bring Tommy out of his Cryogenic suspension, he knew the two of them would end up together. _'Jen always did have a thing for 21st century men,'_ he thought, but he knew it was more than that. There was something about Tommy Oliver that commanded respect, that exuded authority. He knew Jen would be drawn to him, and sure enough, it didn't long before the two of them were together.

Part of him knew from the moment she returned from the 21st century head over heels in love with Wesley Collins that things would never be the same between he and Jen, but he was happy with the way things were.

His thoughts were interrupted as _she_ stepped in the doorway. "You wanted to see me Alex?" she inquired.

"Yes, I did. Come on in, have a seat," as he instructed, she sat down in the chair in front of the desk. "I spoke to Lt. Summers this morning. She told me that in your condition, you can't use the pink Chrono Morpher," he brought up.

"I know. I'd been meaning to come to you and…" she was cut short.

"I'm didn't call you in here to come down on you, I'm here to offer you a new position. I was looking over the new cadets list from this semester, and I noticed Amanda on the top of the list. Apparently she did very well in the written exams, and her knowledge of temporal mechanics are… well, lets just say I haven't seen scores that high since _I_ took the exam myself," he told her.

"Nice to know my little sister knows her stuff,"

"As I recall, you had a double major, and Temporal Mechanics were one of them. You graduated top of your class in every subject, but TM was your strongest suit," he paused. "I've decided to offer you a position as TM instructor for the new cadets. I think they could benefit from what you have to offer them," Alex said.

"You want me to be a teacher?"

"You think you're up to it?" he asked her.

"I think so," Jen said.

"Excellent. I'll have a conversation with Commander Oliver later on today and put him in command of the Slipstream project. After you've had your child and you're fit to return to duty, we'll talk about putting you back on the project," he said.

"Thank you Alex," she said.

*

"What have you got there?" Tommy asked as he walked into the science lab.

As usual, Camille and Trip were busy at the controls, going over calculations. "We're working on a way to detect instabilities in the space/time continuum. If we can, we'll be able to monitor when and where a temporal incursion happens and correct it," she said, never taking her eyes off her work.

"How will that help us?"

It was Trip who turned around. "Ever since our division started, we've been jumping from reality to reality completely at random. Some times there were incursions for us to deal with, on others there weren't. There was no rhyme or reason to it at all. If we can get detect temporal incursions, we'll be able to go to a specific reality and correct whatever the problem is," he explained.

"The two of you never cease to amaze me, you know that?"

"We try," they said in unison, looking at one another with smiles in their faces, then returned to their work.

"How long before we'll be able to bring the detection system on line?"

"At least another 36 hours. We're having a problem with the internal sensor array. The detection system overloads them every time we attempt to lock down an incursion. We'll have to run another spectro…" she was cut short.

"Even if you explained it to me, I wouldn't understand it. Just do you best," Tommy said.

The doors to the science lab hissed open, and Alex walked in, making his way over to the group. "Tommy, can I have a word with you?" he asked.

"Sure," he turned to Trip and Camille. "Keep me posted guys, I'll be right back," he followed Alex towards the door, walking into the hallway. "What's going on?"

"I just offered Jen a position teaching position in the TM department, she accepted it," he said.

"That's great, but what about the Slipstream project? We're going to need a pink ranger," Tommy brought up.

"Until further notice, you are in command of the Slipstream project. Steps are being taken to recruit a new pink ranger, but for the time being Lt. Emery and Nadira will be brought in to assist you. I know you'll do well…" he was cut short when the two of them heard an explosion in the science lab. 

Tommy and Alex rushed in, only to find Camille and Trip laid out on the floor and the workstation they were working on destroyed. Tommy helped Trip back to his feet while Alex helped Camille.

"Report," he said.

"The detection system overloaded again," Trip said.

"But I thought it would only overload if it detected an incursion," he brought up.

"It _did_ detect one," Camille said.

"Where?"

"Its here. There was an unstable temporal vortex that opened here, in Silver Hills," she said.

"Can we track it?" Tommy asked her.

"I suppose we could modify one of the scanning devices to detect a…" she was cut short.

"Again, don't explain it. Just get it working," he said.

"We're on it," Trip and Camille said in unison, heading for the opposite control panel.

Tommy reached for his Morpher. "Commander Oliver to Lt. Commander Taylor," he said.

_'Katie here. Go-ahead chief?' _a voice responded.

"I need you to assemble the rangers and have them meet me in the science lab in ten minutes. We have a situation here," he said.

_'Consider it done chief. Katie out,'_ she said.

"I'll just get out of your way," Alex said as he turned to leave.

"You know, we're still not sure what's out there, we could use your help on this one," he said.

Alex stopped in his tracks. "Really?"

"Always room for one more," he said, extending his hand to him.

"Lets do it," Alex said, accepting his hand.

~~

Tommy stood at the head of the table as the others sat on either side. Alex, trying not to get in the way, stood off to the side.

"Alright, heres what we know: about ten minutes ago, Camille and Trip were able to detect a temporal incursion somewhere in Silver Hills. Though we're not sure what the cause is yet, we have been able to come up with tracking devices to find whatever it is. We'll be splitting up into three teams: Adam and Katie, I want the two of you to head over to the west side of town and do a sweep. Scan every abandoned building, every warehouse, all of it. Trip and James, head over to the east side of the city. Alex and I will take the Vector cycles and patrol for anything unusual. Camille, I want you to stay here and monitor the systems. You're our eyes and ears; we'll need you to give us the heads up if anything else is coming our way. Any questions?" Tommy asked them.

"What are we looking _for_ exactly?" Adam inquired.

"As far as we can tell, there has been an unauthorized time jump. Someone from another period in time has come here, but we don't know for sure who it is or why they're here," he said.

"And how are we able to scan for them?"

Camille stood up. "Everything in our universe has a unique genetic signature. Each of you have been given a standard scanning device, but they've been modified to scan for temporal anomalies. They should lead you right to whoever or whatever is out there," she said.

"We'll all report in every fifteen minutes. If you find anything, do not move in without backup. Are you clear?" Tommy asked.

"We got it," Lt. Emery said, speaking for the group.

Nadira, who had been quite up until this point, raised her hand. "What about me? What's my assignment?" she asked.

Tommy paused, trying to come up with the right thing to say. "I need you to stay here. Camille will be scanning the city, and just in case whatever it is we're looking for comes here, we'll need a ranger to back her up," he said.

"Yes sir," she said proudly.

"Alright guys, lets move out,"  

*

Adam and Katie drove aimlessly down the street on their Vector Cycles, searching for _something. _Although Trip and Camille had given them both tracking devices, neither of them were sure what to look for.

Katie stopped her Vector Cycle, quickly getting off and heading towards a building. Following suit, Adam parked his cycle and went after her.

"You find something?"

She shook her head. "Not really, just feeling nostalgic," she sighed, staring up at what was left of the clock tower. "After our battle in 2001, Bio-Lab paid a pretty penny to rebuild it, and it was declared a landmark by the state in 2015," she told him.

"What's up special about this dusty old clock tower?"

"This is where we stayed during our mission in the 2001. Wes found this place for us, and we cleaned it up and reopened the odd job shop to make some extra money. It was drafty and practically falling apart, but it was our home," she sighed.

"I understand,"

Just then, their scanning devices began to beep. Katie reached for hers, trying to pin point a location. "According to this thing, it says whatever we're looking for is right here," she said, taking a step toward the clock tower.

The door to the clock tower opened, and _he_ stepped out.

"Tommy? What are you doing here?" Adam asked.

Tommy glanced down at Katie's scanning device, then back at Adam. "Searching. What about you?" he replied.

"But I thought you ordered Katie and I to patrol this side of town,"

"I did? I mean, of course I did. I thought you two could use some help," he said.

"Where is Alex?" Katie asked.

"Alex is around… somewhere," he said.

Katie took a step closer to Tommy, and her scanning device began to beep even faster. She reached for her Chrono blaster, aiming at him. "Stay where you are," she told him.

"Katie, what are you doing?" Adam asked.

"This isn't Tommy," she warned.

Adam quickly reached for his weapon as well, but Tommy caught Katie with a kick to the gut, forcing her to drop her weapon. He leaned down to get it, but Adam stepped on the blaster, pointing his at Tommy's head.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," he said.

Tommy lunged upwards, knocking Adam's blaster out of his with the back of his head, then did a back flip in mid air, catching Adam's blaster and aiming it at him. He landed on his feet, firing the blaster and connecting with Adam's shoulder.

"Alright, you asked for it," Adam reached for his morpher. _"BLACK RANGER CHRONO…" _he was cut short as Tommy kicked him in the stomach, followed by an elbow to the jaw, taking Adam down.

Katie picked up her blaster and aimed at Tommy, but Tommy tossed his blaster to her. On instinct, she caught it, and Tommy connected with a back heel kick to the face, knocking Katie out cold. With both Katie and Adam motionless, he leaned down, taking both their morphers, then walked away.

~~

_'Why did I get stuck with Emery?'_ he thought to himself as he and Lt. Emery patrolled together. _'Tommy could have assigned me to Katie, or even Adam, but why James?'_

There was just something about him that bothered him; he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Lt. Emery was much too eager to please, to willing to go out of his way to be accepted by the others. Little did he know that his efforts to be accepted in the group is what kept him separate from the group in the first place.

"My scanner is going crazy, we just be pretty close," James said, breaking his concentration.

Trip reached for his scanner, confirming what James had told him. "Looks like it's coming from," he paused to get an accurate reading. "That way, lets go," he said.

The two of them raced down the street, but Camille greeted them. "Hey guys," she said cheerfully.

"What are you doing here Cammy?" Trip asked, walking towards her to give her a kiss, but she backed away.

"I came out to see if you needed any backup," she paused, staring at Trip for a moment. "That's what good wives do, right?" she inquired.

"I guess so,"

"So, did you guys find anything yet?" she asked.

"This scanner you gave me says we should be right on top of whatever it is we're looking for, but I don't see anything," Lt. Emery said.

"Um, maybe it went underground. You know, like in the sewer systems or something. We should check it out," she said.

Trip nodded. "That's a good idea. Cammy, you and James head down there. I'll contact Tommy," he said, waiting to see her response.

"You got it," she motioned for Lt. Emery. "Come on James,"

Before she could move, Trip reached for his blaster, jabbing it into Camille's back. "I don't know who you are, but you're not _my_ Camille," he said.

Camille kicked back, catching Trip between the legs, then swung around with an elbow to the face, knocking Trip out. 

_"TIME FOR, TIME FORCE,"_ Lt. Emery called out, transforming into the Silver Ranger, quickly calling for his Chrono Saber. "Whoever you are, your time is up," he said.

"So, there's a silver ranger on this world, huh?" Camille asked, lunging after him. He sidestepped her, following up with a kick to the back of the leg. That forced Camille to fall to one knee, and Emery spun around, hitting a spin backside of the head. Camille was face down on the ground, and as he reached for her wrists to handcuff her, she rolled over, kicking him in the chest. Emery went almost ten feet in the air, smashing into the side of a building, powering down in the process. 

With both Trip and Lt. Emery down, Camille grabbed their morphers, walking away with a smile.

~~

Tommy and Alex had remained silent throughout their search, neither of them really sure what to say to one another. Except for work, they hardly knew anything about one another. 

_'The last thing I want to do is rub it in his face that Jen doesn't want to be with him anymore by talking about the wedding,'_ Tommy thought.

It was beginning to get dark, but the two of them continued their search. It was Tommy who stopped his Strata Cycle, making his way towards what appeared to be a park of some kind. With his scanning device in hand, he continued to walk, hoping to pick up on something. Anything.

"No luck?" Alex asked as he walked up behind him, finally breaking the silence between them.

"No. I'm beginning to think that Camille's new detection system has some glitches in it. We've been out here for at least an hour and I haven't…" he was cut short.

"Wait, what did you say?"

"I said I'm beginning to think Camille's new system has a glitch," he repeated.

Alex shook his head. "No, after that,"

He paused. "We've been out here an hour?" he asked him.

"Didn't you order everyone to check in every fifteen minutes?"

"Yeah, but no one has yet," he reached for his Morpher. "Tommy to Adam, come in,"

There was nothing.

"Tommy to Trip. Respond," he said.

Again, nothing.

"Something is wrong. Very wrong," Alex said.

"We should head back to the lab, see if…" he was cut short as Jen walked over to them.

"Hey guys, there you are. What the hell is going on?" she asked them.

Alex and Tommy looked at one another, then at Jen. "We were going to ask you the same thing," Tommy said.

"I've been trying to get in touch with the others but no one is responded. I was getting worried, but I'm glad I bumped into you two," she walked over to Alex, wrapping her arms around him. "Especially you," she said, kissing him warmly on the lips.

Alex quickly pushed away. "What the hell are you doing?" he snapped.

Before she could respond, a disrupter blast came from out of nowhere, hitting Jen in the chest. It was enough to knock her back, landing up against a tree.

Tommy and Alex turned around only to see who appeared to be Lt. Emery walking towards Jen with a disrupter in hand. It looked like James, but there were some major differences. The first thing Alex noticed was the all black Time Force uniform with yellow trim and an eye patch over his right eye.

"Stand down Lt. Emery," Tommy snapped, standing in between James and Jen.

James shoved Tommy aside, then leaned down to handcuff Jen, but Tommy gave him a kick to the gut, knocking him off his feet.

"I said stand down!" he snapped.

"We don't have time for this, now stand aside and let me do my job," James said firmly.

"What…" he was interrupted as Jen got back to her feet, hitting Tommy in the back of the head a branch that had fallen off the tree. Alex made a move, but Jen grabbed her blaster, shooting Alex's hand, forcing him to drop his weapon.

It was Emery who reached for the phaser riffle on his back, aiming it at her. "Time Force, you're under arrest," he said.

"You really think you can stop me?" she snapped.

"Lets find out," he said, firing the weapon.

She sidestepped the disrupter beam, rolling out the way just in time. "Told you, its going to take more than that to…" he cut her short as he stormed towards her, hitting her in the face with the riffle, taking her down.

Jen was face down on the ground, and Emery drove his knee into her back to keep her in place. "Looks like the party is over,"

Just then, it was Tommy who lunged at Emery, tackling him down to the ground. Both Emery and Tommy reached for their weapons, getting back to their feet and aiming their disrupters at one another.

"Stand down," Tommy snapped.

"You stand down,"

"I won't say it again,"

"Both of you stand down," Alex said, walking over to them. "Tommy, this obviously isn't _our_ Emery, and whoever that was, it certainly wasn't Jen," he pointed out.

Tommy and Emery lowered their weapons slowly, and then turned around, only to see that Jen was gone. "Great, it got away. I've been tracking this thing for over a month and you let it get away," Emery snapped.

"How about starting from the beginning to telling me what the hell is going on? What happened to Jen?" Tommy snapped.

"That wasn't Jen, it was an Alassamorph," he said.

"I've heard of them. The Alassamorphs are a race of shape shifters, but I thought they were a peaceful race," Alex brought up.

"Normally, they are, but there are some who work as assassins. The one I'm tracking is a ranger killer. It assumes the identity of a ranger, or one of their friends, gains their trust and then destroys them. It killed most of my team, and I've dedicated my life to finding it and disposing of it once and for all," he explained.

"Damn it, and I let it escape. I didn't know man," Tommy sighed.

"There was no way you could have. Do you have a science lab of some kind here?" he asked.

"Yeah, back at headquarters,"

"We should go there and use your equipment to track the Alassamorph," he said.

"We have our own scanning devices here," Tommy reached for his scanner, but Emery stopped him. 

"No, by now the Alassamorph has found a way to adapt to that and you won't be able to track it. We should use the scanners at your lab, they'll be much more effective," he said.

"Alright, lets get moving,"

"You guys go on ahead. I'll catch up with you in a second," Alex said.

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I'll be right behind you,"

*

The three of them walked into the science lab, where Camille and Nadira were waiting for them. Camille rushed over to them. "What the hell is going on? I've been trying to contact Trip and the others for over an hour and no one is responding," she said.

"Camille, this is Emery," he introduced.

"I already know James, I…" she paused, getting a good look at him. "Oh wait, this isn't _our_ Emery, is it?" she asked.

"No, he's a bounty hunter. He's after an Alassamorph that escaped here from another reality. It assumes the identity of rangers then kills them," he said.

"I need your help in tracking down the assassin so I can dispose of it," Emery said.

It was Nadira who walked over to him. "What happened to your eye?"

"The Alassamorph injured me a few months ago, it managed to do some serious damage before it escaped," he told her.

A few moments later, Katie and Adam walked into the lab, aiming their weapons at Tommy. "Everybody stand back, that isn't Tommy," Katie said.

"Of course I'm me Katie. Who else would I be?" he asked.

"Shut up! I don't want to hear it,"

"No doubt the Alassamorph assumed the form of Tommy and attacked them," Emery said.

"What's an Alassamorph?" Adam asked.

"It's a long story," Alex sighed.

It was Tommy who reached for his disrupter, aiming it at Emery. "I thought you said Alassamorphs killed rangers," he said.

"What are you doing Tommy, of course they do," he told him.

"So why aren't Katie and Adam dead?"

"It may be weak from coming through the portal. Geez Tommy, put the weapon down," Emery snapped.

Without warning, Tommy pulled the trigger, blasting Emery in the head, and Emery's body fell to the floor.

"Why did you…" Camille was cut short as Emery's body stood up on its own, picking up its head and putting it back on his shoulders.

"Okay, now I'm angry," Emery groaned, cocking back and hitting Tommy, knocking him across the room. Nadira rushed over to Tommy to check on him. "Lets just get this over with," he said.

He aimed the phaser riffle at Camille's head, but _another_ Tommy rushed into the lab, attacking Emery. Behind him was Camille, and the two of them put Emery's arms behind his back, cuffing him. Camille pulled a small device off her belt buckle, putting it on Emery's back. A small surge of power went through Emery's body, leaving him lifeless.

"Okay, will someone please tell me what the hell is going on?" Camille asked as stared at herself.

"I think I can answer that," they all turned around as Jen walked into the room. "Captain Oliver, Lt. Commander Oliver and myself were sent here to track down and bring in the Alassamorph. We attacked Katie and the others mistaking them for the Alassmorph, but…"

"You mean Emery was playing us the entire time?" Tommy asked, getting back to his feet and coming face to face with his other self.

  
"Unfortunately. There was no way you could have known," he said.

"But our scanning devices said that _you_ guys were the Alassamorph," Adam pointed out.

"The scanning devices are designed to pick up any being that is not indigenous to this reality, not Alassamorphs," the other Camille said.

"Wait a sec, did you say Captain Oliver and Lt. Commander Oliver?" Tommy asked, walking over to Jen.

"Yes. You and Camille aren't married on this world?" she replied.

Tommy and Camille looked at one another. "No!" they snapped in unison.

"And I take it the two of us aren't together on this world?" Jen asked, turning to Alex.

He shook his head. "We haven't been in a long time,"

"On my world, you were killed when Ransik escaped to the past. I'm sorry if I offended you earlier by…" she was cut short.

"You didn't," he sighed.

"So what's going to happen to the Alassamorph now?" Nadira asked.

"It will stand trail for the murder of over 117 rangers from over 28 different worlds. No doubt it will be executed for its crimes," the other Tommy told them.

"You guys ready?" the other Camille asked. They nodded, and she reached for her Morpher. "Camille to Lt. Logan, we're ready," she said.

_'Standby sir,'_ a voice said.

"_Lt._ Logan? That's weird," Adam brought up.

"Sorry again for the mix up rangers," Jen said. "Oh, and I believe these belong to you," she told them, handing them a set of morphers.

"Not a problem,"

Within seconds, a vortex appeared in the science lab. Camille and Tommy picked up the Alassamorph, heading through the portal. Jen winked at Alex, then headed through as well. Then, as quickly as it appeared, the vortex was gone.

"Well… that certainly was interesting," Camille said.

Trip and Lt. Emery stormed into the lab with their disrupters in hand. "Everyone stand back, that isn't Camille," Emery said.

"Relax James, its me," she sighed.

"Oh sure, and I suppose when I put my phaser down you'll kick me in the head again. No thanks lady!" he snapped.

"Stand down Emery, everything is fine," Tommy told him.

"So you're really you Camille?" Trip asked, taking a step forward.

"How about we go home and you let me prove it to you?" she suggested.

"That's all the proof I need," he said as the two of them walked out the lab.

"I'll get a cleaning crew in here to pick up the mess we made. In the meantime, I need to file a report," Tommy turned to Alex. "So how did it feel?" 

Alex cracked a smile. "It was nice to be out in the field again, but I think I'll leave it to you and the rangers. I'm not cut out for it anymore," 

"No, I meant when Jen kissed you," he brought up.

Alex blushed slightly. "Her lips were crusty, and she had bad breath. It was awful," he sighed.

Tommy smiled.

~~

Preview: Kane and Abel 

Next time on Parallels II: Katie and Adam find themselves on a world dominated by mutorgs.

_~~_


	7. Kane & Abel

**_Disclaimer: _**_Power Rangers Time Force and all related logos are property of Disney and/or Saban Entertainment. I am using them without permission. KJ Sheldon, Lt. James Emery, Trinity Oliver, Camille Summers, Amanda "Mandy" Scott, Mr. & Mrs. Mathew Scott, Leo Claw and the "Omega Project" are property of yours truly._

**_A/N: _**_This fic makes reference to "Adam & Eve", which is chapter 7 in the original Parallels series._

_Please take a moment to review. I live for reviews!!_

**~~**

_"Isn't this beautiful?" he asked her as they walked hand in hand along the beach._

_The sun was beginning to set, and reflections of sun bounced off the river as they walked. There was a slight chill in the air, and Adam quickly removed his jacket, throwing it over her shoulders._

_"This is wonderful Adam," she sighed._

_"I brought you out here because there was something I wanted to tell you," he said._

_They stopped, turning to one another as he looked into her eyes. There was something about the way she looked at him, something in her dark brown eyes that made him melt._

_"What is it?"_

_Oddly enough, he was sure that when the moment came, he would be nervous. He was sure that he'd have a hard to telling her what he had to say. To the contrary, there was no hesitation, no insecurity. "Kathryn, I love you. I've loved you from the moment I came here. At first I didn't want to say anything because…" she cut him short by taking a step forward, putting her finger gently on his lips._

_"Shhhhhhh. You had me at I love you," she told him as she moved her finger, and then leaned upwards, kissing him warmly on the lips. She backed away slowly with a smile on her face. "I love you too," she admitted. _

_'Nadira to Adam, come in,'_ _a voice said._

'I guess you have to go. Duty calls," Katie sighed, staring down at his Morpher.

_"No, I don't want to leave you," he said._

_"I know, but they need you. Besides, I'll be here when you get back," she assured him._

"I love you," 

_"And I love you," she sighed._

_'Nadira to Adam. Please respond,' the voice said again._

Adam opened his eyes, only to find himself in bed. _'All a dream,' _he sighed inwardly as he rolled over, neglecting to turn on the light as he fumbled around the nightstand next to his bed in search of his Morpher. Finally, he sat up in his bed, stretching as he answered her. "Do you have any idea what time is it Dira?" he asked her.

_'I know, but I didn't know who else to call. Camille and Trip are asleep, Tommy and Jen are gone, and James's duty shift doesn't start for another three hours,'_ she said.

He sighed. "Okay Nadira, what is it?"

_'Sensors are picking up a temporal incursion. I haven't been able to pin point the exact location yet, but I know its in the early 31st century,'_ she said.

"Can you just launch a probe?"

'I tried, but there's some kind of interference and I can't get a positive lock in it once I send it through. Someone is going to have to go and check it out,'

"And let me guess, you want _me_ to go?"

'I could always wake up Alex,' 

"No, don't bother him. I'll be there in ten minutes," he groaned.

~~

Adam stumbled into the hallway, still half asleep and made his way to the elevator. _'The dream was so real this time, so intense,'_ he thought to himself.

It wasn't the first time he'd had a dream about her, but it was the first he remembered it all with such clarity and detail. He could recall the sounds of the water rolling onto shore, the feel of the sand between his toes as they walked, the smell of the salt water in the air. It was all so…

"Real," he mumbled to himself. The elevator door opened, and there _she_ was. He noticed that her uniform wasn't completely zipped up in the front, and her hair was simply pulled back in a ponytail. "Katie? What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Nadira called me. Something about an incursion she wants me to check out," she groaned.

"Same here," the elevator door closed, and they were on their way. "You look tired," he mentioned.

"My duty shift doesn't start for another three hours, but I didn't want to bother any of the senior staff with this. I'm sure it's nothing we can't handle together, right?" she asked, putting her hand on his shoulder.

It was enough to make him crack a smile. "Right," he paused, noticing the exhausted look on her face. "You okay Katie?" he asked.

"Yeah, I just haven't been sleeping well lately. I've been having the strangest dreams," she mentioned.

It was enough to make Adam blush slightly. "Yeah, me too,"

"Really, what's your about?" she asked.

Just then, the elevator doors open. "Well, here we are, we better get moving," Adam said, avoiding the question altogether.

They stepped off the elevator, making their way down the hall. When they got to the end of the hall, they stopped in front of a door. It was Katie who put her hand on the panel next to the door.

_'Identity confirmed. Taylor, Kathryn Lieutenant Commander. Welcome,' _the computer said, opening the doors to the science lab and allowing them in.

Adam and Katie hurried over to Nadira, who was sitting front of the controls. "I'm really sorry to wake you guys, but I thought this couldn't wait. I've gone over the readings, and according to this, there is some kind of attack going on in the 31st century. I've been able to narrow the date down to… oh God, it's the year 3001, somewhere in Silver Hills," she told them.

"Alright Dira, open the Slipstream. If you have any more information for us, let us know," Katie said, heading towards the slipstream.

Adam, on the other hand, walked over to weapon's storage, filling a small duffle bag full of weapons and devices. Once the bag was full, he zipped it closed and walked over to Katie. "Okay, I'm ready,"

"What are you planning to do? Blow up the city?" she asked him.

"I just think we should be prepared,"

"Be careful guys," Nadira said as she activated the slipstream.

Without a word, Katie and Adam stepped into the blue swirling vortex, disappearing…

~~

The two of them stepped through the other side of the vortex, only to find themselves in what was left of Silver Hills. Most of the buildings had been destroyed, and there were bodies spread out through out the city. The sky was nearly pitch black, more than likely from the smoke that filled the air.

The vortex closed, and they made their way down the street. "All of this looks so familiar," Katie sighed, glancing around.

"Yeah, its Silver Hills," he said.

"I know, but there's more to it than that," she said.

"So what are we dealing with here? Mutants, monsters, aliens, robots?" he asked, changing the subject as they looked around.

"How about alien robots that have been mutated by monsters?" she suggested.

Before Adam could say a word, _something_ attacked them from behind. It tackled him to the ground, and then bit him on the shoulder. Katie turned around, reaching for her disrupter and blasted the creature, knocking it off him.

Adam quickly got back to his feet, holding his shoulder in pain. "What the hell was that?" he snapped.

Katie walked over to the creature, getting a good look at it. It wasn't humanoid; it was more like a dog than a human. It had long, jagged teeth, and sharp claws. Its fur was thick, and the disrupter wound was bleeding a green-ish fluid.

"Oh my God," she sighed.

"What is it?"

"It's a mutorg," she told him.

"A what?"

_'It's a mutorg. According to the history logs, the Vorhsoth invaded that reality a few years ago, and Time Force was desperate to come up with something to combat them. They used DNA from an org and a mutant to create the mutorgs, and then unleashed them on the Vorhsoth. They were able to defeat the Vorhsoth, but the mutorgs began to multiply and turned on Time Force. They slaughtered millions of people. About two years ago, there was a huge Thorolon burst that destroyed most of the mutorgs, but according to this, some of them survived and have been multiplying with an alarming rate,' _Nadira explained.

"I was here. Me, Tommy, Jen, Trip and Camille came here on one of our first missions with the slipstream. Camille built the Thorolon burst, and it wiped out all the mutorgs. Or so we thought," Katie sighed.

"Its no big deal, we'll just build another burst thing and wipe'em out," Adam mentioned.

_'I'm afraid it isn't that simple. Camille and Trip are the only ones who know how to build a Thorolon burst, then there's still the question of who transported to that point in time and what are they trying to do?'_ Nadira mentioned.

"Someone came from our reality to this one to get their hands on Adam and Eve," Katie said.

"What?"

"That's what the project was called: Adam and Eve. Time Force created two mutorgs, but they were too much for Time Force to control. They tripled their numbers everyday, each of them laying eggs. We came up with the Thorolon burst and wiped out most of the eggs, but we must have missed one," she said.

_'No, you didn't. According to this, the mutorgs you see now have traces of Thorolon in them. Which means…'_ Nadira was cut short.

"One of them adapted to the Thorolon, which means that now, _all of them are immune to the bursts. We won't be able to stop them," she said._

_'Right now, just focus on finding whoever it was that traveled to that reality and stop them from doing whatever they're trying to do,'_ she said.

"Thanks Dira, we'll be in touch," she turned to Adam. "Are you going to be okay?" she asked him.

"I'll be fine, lets just get to work,"

~~

The two of them found their way to one of the only buildings in the city that weren't completely destroyed. With their cloaks engaged, they were able to roam the city without being seen.

"Looks like that's the place we're looking for," Katie said.

"What makes you think so?"

"Someone restored power to this building. More than likely the guy who traveled from our reality is here," she said.

At that moment, a group of mutorgs began to surround them.

"They shouldn't be able to see us," Adam said.

"Its you. You're hurt, and they smell the blood," she told him.

"You go, I'll hold them off here," he said.

"I won't leave…"

"I said go!" he yelled.

He quickly disengaged the cloak, reaching for his Morpher. _"BLACK RANGER CHRONO ARMOR," he called out, transforming into the black ranger._

_"TIME FOR, TIME FORCE," _Katie said, replacing her clothes with her ranger uniform. 

The two of them stood back to back as the mutorgs moved in closer, surrounding them. Almost all that once, the mutorgs charged at them. Adam fell to his knees, slicing the mutorg in the stomach as it rushed towards him. Another one rushed at him, but an axe kick knocked it over. A third one jumped towards him, biting his arm, sinking its teeth down into the Morpher. It was enough to send a shock through the mutorg's body, and it collapsed to the ground.

Katie called for her Chrono saber, charging after the mutorgs. It didn't take too long for her to trapped up against the wall as the mutorgs surrounded her. "Um, Adam, a little help over here," she screamed.

Just then, _someone crashed through one of the windows in the building, landing a few feet from them. They aimed a weapon of some kind at the mutorgs, emitting an electromagnetic shock that blasted a hole through them. "Come with me," the stranger said, grabbing Katie's arm._

Adam delivered one more axe kick, then followed Katie and the stranger into the building, closing and locking the door behind them.

"Your Morpher, it has been damaged," the stranger said.

"Who are you?" Adam asked.

It was Katie who got a good look at him. He appeared much older than he remembered, and he now had a full beard and mustache. There was also a scar on the right side of his face, and his eye looked to be missing.

"Logan?" she asked.

He nodded. "Kathryn," he said.

"Come on, hes not _our_ Logan. _Our_ Logan has been gone for over a year now," Adam pointed out.

"A year? It's been much longer than that," Logan said.

"What do you mean?"

"When Time Force received word Dez was leading an assault on Earth, I was attacked by Logan from another reality. My best guess is someone from Chryo Tech wanted someone inside Time Force to help coordinate an attack. They took me to Chryo Tech, and when they realized that weren't going to get any information out of me, they banished me here, to this world," he explained.

"That's what we assumed happened to our Logan when we realized the one that replaced him was a fake, but that was only about a year ago," she said.

"I've been here for at least six years. I was here when you, Jen and the others came here for the first time, but I stayed out of sight. At first, I thought you had come to rescue me, but when I heard my own voice giving you instructions, I realized that you hadn't. I didn't want to create a paradox by telling you what happened, so I stayed out the way," he explained.

"Oh my God, it is you," Katie sighed.

"And who is this?" Logan asked.

Adam powered down. "Lt. Adam Park, black ranger," he introduced.

"By your ranger uniform, it's unlike anything I've ever seen before. How can you be…"

"It's a long story, we don't have time to get into it. We're here because someone opened a time hole from our reality to this one, we have to find them and stop them from doing whatever it is they plan to do," she told him.

"I'm the only human here, I have been for quite a while. I've been working on a way to open a stable vortex of my own so I could return home, but it's unstable. About 18 months ago, I found an active probe that had a Time Force signature. I began modifying that probe hoping I would be able to determine which reality it came from in hopes of opening a vortex myself," he said.

"18 months ago? Nadira told me she sent out a probe a few minutes before Katie and I came here," Adam mentioned.

"There's something about this reality that makes time move slower here. Maybe it has something to do with all the radiation, or maybe…" she was cut short.

"You're telling me that I've only been missing for a year?" Logan asked.

"Yes sir,"

"Wait a sec," he paused. "What if the incursion Nadira detected wasn't someone from our world coming here, what if she picked up Logan trying to open a time hole back to our reality?" he asked.

"That would explain why it took her so long to pin point the location," she said.

"And with the time variance on this world, she probably only picked up small traces of the time hole," he added.

Katie reached for her Morpher. "Katie to Nadira, respond," she said.

For a moment, there was static…

'Nadira here. Go ahead Katie,' 

"We found the source of your incursion. Activate the slipstream, we're coming home," she told her.

'Right away Commander,' 

"You got promoted?" Logan asked.

"Yeah,"

"Congratulations,"

Moments later, the vortex opened in front of them. Katie motioned for Logan to go in before them, and he quickly went through. Next was Katie, but as Adam tried to go through, sparks shot out of his Morpher where it had been damaged, and the vortex collapsed…

~~

**Preview: Funny how time flies**

Next time on Parallels II: Logan, Nadira and Katie try to find a way to rescue Adam, who is trapped in an alternate reality.

_~~_


	8. Funny how time flies

**_Disclaimer: _**_Power Rangers Time Force and all related logos are property of Disney and/or Saban Entertainment. I am using them without permission. KJ Sheldon, Lt. James Emery, Trinity Oliver, Camille Summers, Amanda "Mandy" Scott, Mr. & Mrs. Mathew Scott, Leo Claw and the "Omega Project" are property of yours truly._

**_A/N: _**_This chapter begins sometime during "Kane & Abel" and contains a portion of the same chapter._

_Please take a moment to review. I live for reviews!!_

**~~**

It had been nearly a day since the last time she'd heard anything from Adam or Katie, and that worried her. She'd been so concerned about not waking the senior staff for a mission; it may have cost Katie and Adam their lives. 

Since her last communication with them, she'd tried to contact them, but with no luck. Even Camille had done her best to open a channel to them, but without success. She volunteered to open the slipstream and go over them herself, but Commander Oliver, who told her he refused to lose another officer, flatly denied her request.

"Don't worry Dira, I'm sure we'll be able to track them down," Trip assured her as he and Camille continued to go over modifications for the communications systems.

"So why haven't they contacted us yet?"

"Based on the readings we've gathered from the world they're on, the adverse radiation on that world has somehow altered the space/time continuum. Time could be moving very slowly for them, or very fast for them," Camille pointed out.

"But you don't know for sure if it's fast or slow?"

"No. From they're point of view, it could have been weeks, even _months_ since they arrived on that world. Then again, it could have only been a few seconds ago," she said.

"And that's why we can't talk to them?"

"Since our continuum is functioning normally, our targeting sensors can't lock onto _their_ continuum. Every time we try to lock on, time speeds up for them, making it impossible for us to contact them," Trip said.

"So can they call us?"

"Yeah, as long as the communications systems in their morphers haven't been effected, they should be able to, but from this end it's almost impossible," she explained.

"Well, the two of you keep trying. If we haven't heard anything from them in the next six hours, I'm going in after them," Tommy said as he walked in the lab, making his way towards them.

"And I'm going with you," Nadira said.

He shook his head. "No, you should stay here. I'll take Emery with me if I have to," he said.

"Understood," she sighed reluctantly.

_'Katie to Nadira, respond,'_ a voice said.

Nadira eagerly rushed back over to the control panel, opening a channel. "Nadira here. Go ahead Katie," 

_'We found the source of your incursion. Activate the slipstream, we're coming home,'_ she told her.

"Right away Commander," she said proudly, reactivating the slipstream. 

"I'm reading a huge energy build up," Camille turned around, facing the others. "Its an electro magnetic surge, and its off the charts," she said.

"Can you compensate for it?"

"I don't think so,"

Just then, Katie came through the portal along with an older man. The two of them turned around, staring back at the vortex.

"Where is Adam?" she asked.

"He didn't come through yet," Trip said.

"The surge is building up, I _have_ to close the vortex," Camille said.

"I'm going back for him," Katie said, but it was Trip who grabbed her arm, stopping her.

"Going through with that much electromagnetic activity could kill you," he told her.

Camille deactivated the slipstream, and Katie snatched away from Trip in frustration. "Camille, get that slipstream back on line _now_, I'm going back for Adam," she said.

"We have to wait until the…"

"That was an order Lt. Summers, not a request," she snapped.

"Yes ma'am," she sighed, turning back towards the controls.

"Nadira, take the Admiral down to the infirmary to be checked out. Have Dr. Young report to me in one hour with the results," she ordered.

"Yes ma'am," Nadira said, motioning for Logan to follow her.

~~

"So, is it really you? Or are you from another reality? Ya know, we get a lot of that around here," Nadira said as the two of them headed down the hall towards the infirmary.

"No, its me. I've been gone a long time, a lot of things have changed," he said, glancing around.

"You don't know the half of it,"

"Where is Lt. Oliver and Commander Scotts?" he asked.

"You mean _Commander Oliver_ and _Captain Scotts,_" she corrected. "They're on a leave, they're planning their wedding," she said.

"I always thought the two of them would end up. What else has changed?"

"They'll be plenty of time for you to catch up. Right now, you need to be checked out," she said as they turned the corner, making their way into the infirmary.

As soon as they walked in, Dr. Young greeted them. "Commander Taylor contacted me and told me you were on the way," he glanced up at the old man. "Admiral Logan?" he inquired.

"Last time I checked it was just _Captain_ Logan, but Admiral does have a ring to it," he said.

"Katie wants a complete check up on him within the hour," Nadira told him.

"Of course," he said, nodding slightly.

"I'll be back to check on you in a while," she said, walking out the room.

*

_"Isn't this beautiful?" he asked her as they walked hand in hand along the beach._

_The sun was beginning to set, and reflections of sun bounced off the river as they walked. There was a slight chill in the air, and Adam quickly removed his jacket, throwing it over her shoulders._

_"This is wonderful Adam," she sighed._

_"I brought you out here because there was something I wanted to tell you," he said._

_They stopped, turning to one another as he looked into her eyes. There was something about the way she looked at him, something in her dark brown eyes that made him melt._

_"What is it?"_

_Oddly enough, he was sure that when the moment came, he would be nervous. He was sure that he'd have a hard to telling her what he had to say. To the contrary, there was no hesitation, no insecurity. "Kathryn, I love you. I've loved you from the moment I came here. At first I didn't want to say anything because…" she cut him short by taking a step forward, putting her finger gently on his lips._

_"Shhhhhhh. You had me at I love you," she told him as she moved her finger, and then leaned upwards, kissing him warmly on the lips. She backed away slowly with a smile on her face. "I love you too," she admitted. _

He opened his eyes slowly, only to find himself asleep up against the wall of an abandoned building. The windows had long since been broken, and the cold winter air crept in. He quickly reached for the fur he'd taken from one of the mutorgs, wrapping it around himself to stay warm. The last few years had been hard on him, but he'd found a way to deal with the situation. During the day, while it was at it's warmest, he hunted the mutorgs. He'd kill them, using their skins to stay warm and cooked the meat to have something to eat. At night, he did his best to stay warm and try to modify the probes Logan left behind.

For a while, he was convinced that it would only be a matter of time before Katie and the others locked onto his signal and teleported him out, but the damage to his Morpher had been too much for him to repair, and without an energy signal to lock onto, they wouldn't be able to teleport him. Then, he took comfort in knowing that as soon as Katie realized what happened, she'd come back through the portal for him, but it took him almost two years to realize that because time moved slower on that world, Katie may not have even realized he was gone yet.

The only thing that kept him going were the dreams; the thought of being with Katie one more time made him want to hold on just one more day. He tried to repair his Morpher, but it was no use. He tried to get Logan's time hole to work for him, but there just wasn't enough power to open a stable vortex. He could have gone through, but there was no telling where or when he'd end up. His only hope was to stay where he was, hoping that sooner or later, someone would come for him.

*

"I've got some bad news for you Commander," Trip said, getting Katie's attention. 

She quickly hurried over to Trip, who was standing in front of the view screen. "What is it Trip?" she asked him.

"I've been able to determine that it was the Thorolon burst that disrupted the normal flow of time on that world. According to this, for each hour here, a month passes on that world," he said.

"You mean Adam has been lost for almost six months?"

"I'm afraid its worse. If his Morpher was as damaged as you say it was, it may have been the cause of the electromagnetic surge Camille detected. If he tried to pass through the vortex with his Morpher emitted that much energy, it could have thrown him even further backwards in time," he said.

"What are you telling me Trip? It's a lost cause; we should just give up on finding him? I will _not_ accept that, and none of us are leaving this lab until we find him. Is that clear?" she snapped.

"Permission to speak freely ma'am," he requested.

"Unless you wanna talk to me about a way to bring him back, denied. I don't care how you do it, find him," she snapped.

*

With the last of his strength, he drug himself back into the building, doing his best to hold the wound on his stomach. His last hunt hadn't been a very successful one, and the mutorgs managed to do some serious damage before he escaped.

He knew it was only a matter of time before the other mutorgs got a scent of his blood and would be on their way, so he quickly glanced around for something…_anything_ that could stop the bleeding. He reached for a small box on the table, opening the lid and pulling out what appeared to be leaches. With a handful of leaches in hand, he used them to cover the wound, howling out in pain as they attached themselves to him. Finally, he ripped the last of his uniform, wrapping it around his stomach to stop the bleeding.

It was too much for him. He knew that being a ranger meant being able to survive, to overcome to odds, but it had been nearly 18 months… give or take a day, and he'd given up on the thought of anyone coming to rescue him months ago.

The probe he had was losing power fast. It was barely able to sustain the lights in the building. His body had taken a beating as well. The mutorgs tripled in numbers almost daily, and after a while, hunts became almost impossible. They'd been getting smarter, reacting to him faster. He knew it was only a matter of time before he wouldn't be able to hunt at all.

Once the blood stopped, he limped over to the probe one final time, pulling a small panel off the side of it. He picked up what appeared to be a fork, using the edges to pull wires out of the side of the probe. He cut them, reconnecting them to what was left of his Morpher in an attempt to get one more surge of power.

For a moment, there was a huge surge of power. The lights in the building lit up brighter than he'd ever seen them, but then, they were gone. With a disappointed sigh, he leaned back, hitting the floor as tears rolled down his face.

*

"Wait, I've got something," Camille said.

"What is it?" Katie asked, rushing over to her.

"There was a power surge. Based on the readings Nadira took from her original scan of that world, it's coming from the same place that she picked up the first temporal incursion," she said.

"What does that mean?"

"Looks like someone is trying to draw power from one of our probes with an external power source, but there was an overload," she said.

"Maybe he was trying to use his Morpher to power the probe," Trip brought up.

"What would that do?"

"Well, it could be a number of different things. Maybe was trying to open a stable vortex, or maybe he needed a source of power, maybe he was…" she was cut short.

"Logan said he was trying to use the probe's energy core to open a stable vortex, but the time distortion made it almost impossible," she said.

"Time is a tricky thing. Unless there was something to lock onto the _temporal_ coordinates, it would be like trying to find a needle in a… universe!"

"Assuming he was trying to open a vortex, what could we do on this end to help him?" Katie asked her.

"It would be possible to link the slipstream to the energy output of the probe at the exact moment he tried to active his portal, but it would be impossible to predict when he'd try," Trip said.

"Not to mention that probe would have been running, from his standpoint, for months now. It wouldn't have nearly enough power to open a portal," she added.

"Will that electromagnetic surge still be a problem if we tried to open a portal to his temporal coordinates?" Katie asked.

"No, but teleportation to any exact point on that world would be impossible now. The Thorolon radiation in addition to his damaged Morpher _and_ the energy output of the probe would throw the targeting sensors out of whack. I could send you to that world, but there's no way to tell if you'd get there a year before him, or a year after him,"

"We could send a probe back with instructions in it," Camille blurted out.

"What?"

"Think about it: if we were to send a probe to the exact location where we detected the energy surge, there is no way to be sure _when_ he'd get it, but he'd get it. We could leave him instructions on how and when to activate the portal, that way we could coordinate our efforts and link the portals together," she said.

"Do it," Katie said eagerly.

"The only problem with that is a probe can be lost or damaged during transport. It wouldn't have the presence of mind to preserve power until it was found, and it could essentially do more harm than good if it's energy core was somehow breached," Trip said.

"So what we need is a smart probe, a probe that…" she was cut short.

"Computer, what is KJ's current location?" Katie asked.

_'KJ is in her quarters,'_ the computer told her.

Katie reached for her Morpher. "Katie to KJ, come in," she said.

For a moment, there was silence.

_'KJ here. How may I be of assistance?' _a voice asked.

"I need you to come to the science lab, I have a mission for you," she said.

'On my way,' 

"Brilliant. We can send KJ. The Thorolon radiation will affect her, but not as quickly as it would for one of us. She'll be able to find Adam and coordinate with us on opening a stable vortex back home," Camille said.

"Good thinking Commander," he said.

"I try," Katie blushed.

*

There was no way to be sure exactly how much time had passed, but now he was completely convinced that no one was ever coming for him. The sun seemed to set much slower on that world, and remain hidden much longer than he was use to. Nights were colder, longer, and his food supply was all but gone. It had been weeks since he'd had a decent meal, and memories of a better life were beginning to fade away. 

He wasn't even having the dreams anymore.

The probe had long since lost all power, leaving him surrounded by complete darkness as night. There were times when he thought about simply ending it all, stopping the pain once and for all, but something stopped him every time. He'd even gone so far as to tie a rope around his neck and climb the highest tree he could find. He was ready to jump, but something stopped him. It was vague, even he wasn't sure what it was, or why it was so important to him, but it was enough to make him hold on. 

It happened a long time ago… he was somewhere, and there was light. Someone was there with him… but that's all he could remember. It was something in that moment, something on a subconscious level that stopped him from jumping out that tree.

But what…

Just then, in the distance, he heard a noise. It was enough to make him jump to him feet, grabbing the spear from up against the wall and heading out the door. He crept around the corner slowly, trying to catch a glimpse of whatever was approaching, but there was nothing.

Then, he heard it again…

With the spear in hand, he headed to the front of the building. It was dark, so it was hard to see anything, but from a distance, he saw a figure. It wasn't a mutorg, it appeared to be human. He rushed towards it wit his weapon, ready to kill it if necessary, but then it happened…

"Lt. Park?" a voice called out.

The figure came closer, until finally, he was able to get a good look at them in the moonlight. It was a female, and he recognized her, but he wasn't sure from where.

"Lt. Park, you must come with me at once. I am here to take you home," she said.

"Home?" he mumbled.

"Yes, home,"

*

Katie paced back and forth across the lab, waiting to hear something… anything. It had been nearly a day since KJ went through the vortex to find Adam, but there hadn't been a word from her since. She had to remind herself about the time variance. For all she knew, KJ was just arriving on that world, even though to her it seemed like an eternity.

"Commander, I've got something," Trip said.

"What?"

"It's the energy flux we've been waiting for. KJ must have found Adam and is attempting to establish a link with our slipstream," he said. "but there's something else, I'm picking up distortion in the upper EM band,"

"Will it interfere with the slipstream?"

"No, it shouldn't,"

"Activate the portal," she said. The slipstream activated, but the vortex appeared to be a green-ish color, rather than blue. "Is it supposed to be doing that?"

"Everything is fine," he assured her.

"I'm detecting two life signs on the other side of the portal. One of them is KJ, the other one is… its Adam," Camille said.

"I'll only be able to hold the portal open for another 60 seconds. After that, I don't know if we'll ever be able to open it again," he said.

~~

"Lt. Park, we must go now," KJ told him.

Adam was hesitant. He'd had dreams about someone coming for him, and every time he tried to go through the portal, he'd wake up, only to find himself back in that abandoned warehouse. "This isn't real," he groaned.

"I assure you Lt. Park, it _is_ real. We have gone through great lengths to find you, now we must go before the vortex becomes unstable," she said.

He shook his head. "No, it isn't real," he repeated.

~~

"45 seconds," Trip warned.

Katie stood patiently near the vortex, waiting for the two of them to come through, but with no luck. "Why aren't they back yet?" she mumbled.

"I won't be able to hold it open much longer," he said.

~~

"I don't believe you, none of this is real," Adam snarled, picking up his wooden staff, preparing to defend himself.

"Lt. Park, do you not remember me? I am KJ, Model A6. The two of us went to Commander Taylor's home for Thanksgiving. The Commander is waiting for you to return, she has been quite worried about you," she told him.

"The commander?" he inquired.

"Yes, the Commander," she paused. "You once told me you thought she was _pretty hot_," she said, hoping he would find some of it familiar.

"Katie?" he sighed.

She nodded. "Yes. Katie is waiting for you on the other side,"

~~

"15 seconds," Trip said.

The anticipation was too much for her. She knew that unless they came through now, it would be impossible to track him down again. The thought of losing Adam was enough to make her fall to her knees. She'd lost Ransik, and there was nothing she could do to save him, now she was able to lose someone else she loved…

_'Love?'_ she thought to herself.

Just then, KJ came through the portal along with an old man, both of them collapsing to the floor.

Camille and Trip hurried over to them, helping them up.

"Adam, is that you?" Katie cried.

His beard covered most of his face, and his hair was much longer than she remembered. His uniform was completely gone, replaced by the skin of what she assumed were mutorgs.

"Katie?" he mumbled.

"Yes baby, its me," she cried, wrapping her arms around him.

"Commander, he has serious internal injuries and extreme physiological damage. I must get him down to the infirmary at once," KJ told her.

Katie backed away from him slowly as Trip and KJ helped him out the lab. She stood up, wiping the tears away from her eyes as Camille walked over to her, putting her arm around her.

"You did it Katie," she said.

"No, _we_ did it. Thank you for all your help," she sighed.

"Anytime," she sighed. 

**_~~ that evening ~~_**

****

****

She'd been standing in the doorway to the infirmary for hours, simply watching as Dr. Young performed tests on him. It seemed strange to see him; even though only two days had passed for her, it had been considerably longer for Adam. His beard was full, his hair was longer, he was covered in scars and wearing the fur of a mutorg that barely seemed to cover him.

For her, it didn't matter how long he was gone, all that mattered to her was that he was back. Now, she wasn't going to make the mistake of not telling him exactly how she felt about him. _'I love him,'_ she thought to herself. It was the first time she'd actually admitted it to herself, and now, it was time to tell him.

She walked into the infirmary as Dr. Young connected a small tube to Adam, and then inserted the other end in an IV next to the bed. With a sincere, yet uncomfortable look on her face, she walked over to him, holding his hand.

"Hello handsome," she sighed.

Adam opened his eyes slowly, glancing up at her. Once he realized who it was, he snatched away from her. "Get out of her!" he snapped.

"Adam, its me. Katie," she pointed out.

"I said get out!" he yelled.

One of the monitors next to his bed began to beep, and Dr. Young hurried over to him, checking the readings. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave Commander," he said.

"But I just…"

"I know you mean well, but his heart rate is off the chart. If I don't get him settled down soon, his internal injuries could get worse. I promise to contact you if his condition changes," he said.

She reached out to Adam one final time, but he turned his back to her, rolling over on the examining table. With a reluctant sigh, and a tear in her eye, she walked out the room.

~~

**Preview: The Enemy within**

Next time on Parallels II: There is a double agent in Time Force… but who? Meanwhile, Camille is determined to keep a promise to a friend and Adam does his best to readjust to being home.

_~~_


	9. The enemy within

**_Disclaimer: _**_Power Rangers Time Force and all related logos are property of Disney and/or Saban Entertainment. I am using them without permission. KJ Sheldon, Lt. James Emery, Trinity Oliver, Camille Summers, Amanda "Mandy" Scott, Mr. & Mrs. Mathew Scott, Leo Claw and the "Omega Project" are property of yours truly._

**_A/N: _**_This fic takes place about a week after the end of Future Shock II._

_Please take a moment to review. I live for reviews!!_

**~~**

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**_* Stone Canyon, California *_**

****

"Everything is going according to plan, sir. Our operatives are in place, and we'll be ready to implement our plan within the next 72 hours," she told him as the two of them stood in front of the screen, reviewing the information.

In all honestly, it was her greatest accomplishment. Actual living skin and tissue over a complex exo-skeleton, equipped with artificial intelligence, even molded to resemble her. It was a masterpiece, a living work of art. In the beginning, she was against the idea of sending it out in the field without the proper testing, but it had been weeks now, and the unit was functioning better than she originally projected.

So why wasn't she pleased?

"I read your last report. Time Force did in fact receive our second operative, but they have yet to check in with us," he mentioned.

"Yes sir. It's only been six hours. I expect to hear from our operative within the next three hours. If not, we'll send the first operative to access the situation,"

"Excellent work Dr. Crane," her superior officer told her, putting his hand reassuringly on her shoulder. "If this goes off without a hitch, there will be a huge promotion in it for you, not to mention all the funding you'll ever need,"

"Thank you sir,"

 "Is there something wrong Dr., you look concerned," he mentioned.

She shook her head. "No, everything is going well ahead of schedule. I'm fine," she lied.

"Very good. I'll expect your report on my desk no later than 1500 hours," he said, walking out the room.

Dr. Crane continued to stare at the screen, admiring her work, but left with the uneasy feeling that somehow, _something_ was going to go wrong, and her greatest accomplishment would be lost forever.

**_* New Silver Hills, California Time Force Headquarters *_**

"So what's the verdict doc?" Tommy asked as he walked into the infirmary, hoping to get an update on the situation.

It was Dr. Young who walked over to him, quickly glancing over the information on his chart. "I did as you asked and ran a scan on his molecular buildup, and it came back positive. He definitely isn't from any other reality and is indigenous to our dimension, but there were some unusual readings in his blood work," he said.

"How so?"

"It seems… different. I ran a comparison of the last blood sample I took from him _before_ his disappearance and compared it with the blood I just took from him. It matches, but there are minor differences. From what I can tell, it's from his exposure to the levels of radiation on the world he was on. Plus it didn't help that there was a major time variance there," he told him.

"But, in your opinion, it _is_ Logan?" he asked.

"Sounds to me like you want me to convince you," he brought up.

"Its just that the last time we thought it was Logan, he made a real mess of things around here. I need to be absolutely sure that it's really Logan before we let him out of here and allow him back to work," he explained.

"I understand commander. If you're asking my professional opinion, its been medically proven that he _is_ Charles Logan, all the way down to the hair follicles and blood type. Granted, there's still a variance in his blood, but again, I blame the exposure to radiation," he told him.

"Thanks doc,"

"I'm suppose to have a meeting with Counsel member Collins at 1500 hours to discuss Logan's possible return to work. If you like, I can report back to you afterwards,"

"No thanks, I'll have a talk with Alex later," he turned his attention to Adam, who was laying on the table across from them. "Is he going to be okay?" he asked.

"His body has gone through a lot in the last twelve hours, and if not for the technology in the Morpher filtering out most of the radiation, he wouldn't have survive. He should make a full recovery in a few weeks, and even after that, I don't recommend he use his Morpher for a while," he said.

"How long?"

"Its impossible to say at this point. I'd have to run a series of tests on him _without_ the Morpher to see how his body is responding to the treatments," he told him.

"Thanks for the update doc," Tommy said, making his way out the room.

~~

As soon as he stepped into the hallway, Katie greeted him. "So how is he doing in there?" she asked them as the two of them walked down the hall.

"Why don't you just go in there and check on him?"

"He doesn't want to me. I tried, but he started screaming for me to leave. I don't think he wants me to see him like that, hooked to machines and struggling for his life,"

"I wouldn't say he was struggling for his life, but it'll be a while before he'll be able to come back to work," he said.

"So is he okay?"

"Dr. Young says he'll be fine in a few weeks," he said.

"Good," she sighed with relief.

The two of them stepped onto the elevator, watching the doors close behind them. "I didn't know the two of you were… seeing one another," he mentioned.

"We're not, at least not officially. We talked about it over the holidays and agreed that it was something we'd both be interested in pursuing, but then _this_ happened and…" she stopped. "I'm sure he'll be fine,"

"Of course he will. I've known Adam for a long time, and I've seen him get out of worse situations before," he assured her.

_'Trip to Katie, come in,'_ a voice said.

Katie reached for her Morpher. "Katie here. What's up Trip?" she asked.

_'I'm picking up an unauthorized transmission in the communications room. Its KJ,'_ he said.

"But who could KJ be trying to get in touch with?"

_'I don't know, but I thought I'd contact you before I told Tommy about it. I knew you'd want to handle this one yourself,'_ he said.

Katie couldn't help but look at Tommy and crack a smile. "Thanks Trip, I'll check it out," she said.

"What do you think she's up to?" Tommy asked.

"I don't know," the elevator door opened, and Katie stepped out. "But I intend to find out," she told him, walking down the hall.

~~

Katie walked into the communications room, only to see KJ sitting in front of the controls.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

KJ turned around. "Greetings Kathryn, I will be with you in one moment," she said, turning back to her work.

"You're not suppose to be in here without authorization," she said.

"I _do_ have authorization,"

"Who?"

"Counsel member Collins gave me permission to run tests on the communications array. I will be complete in a moment," she said.

Katie stood over her shoulder, reviewing her work. "What are you trying to do here?" she inquired.

"I have found a way to increase the efficiency of the communications array by over 47%. With the modifications I'm bringing on line, we should be able to communicate with someone from the Fikus sector," she told her.

She paused. "You're doing this for me?"

"I understand how important it is for you to contact someone from that region of space, but instead of regenerating, I worked on ways to improve the range of our communications systems. I thought you would be pleased," she said.

"I _am_ pleased. Thank you KJ,"

"Anytime Commander,"

"I'll leave you to your work, just contact me when the modifications are complete," Katie said, walking out the room.

*

She'd been locked away in her lab for hours, going over variable and calculations. To ensure no one knew what she was doing, she severed the connection from her lab to the main computers. _'The last thing I need is interruptions,'_ she thought to herself. She had even gone so far as to take off her Morpher, leaving it in the science lab while she worked.

It had taken her quite a while to align everything, but she was fairly convinced that _this_ time, it would work. The tests she ran in the past had… less than successful results.

"Okay Leo, take it from the top," she said, leaning over his shoulder as Leo sat in front of the computer.

"I've managed to stabilize the interlocking morph sequences so it doesn't overload the power converter, but I'm worried about this variance in the secondary morphing pod," he said.

"Looks fine to me," 

_"Yeah, it looks__fine, but if that variance complicates the morphing sequence, your entire central nervous system could collapse," he told her._

_"I'm tellin' you, we've gone over this in simulations a million times, what could go wrong?" she asked him._

_"Its just better to be safe than sorry," he cautioned._

_Camille picked up the Morpher itself, which was sitting on the table next to the computer. It was much more slender than a standard Chrono Morpher, but much wider. The Morpher covered almost half of her forearm as she put it on, admiring it. Next, she reached for the second one, which was identical, putting it on the opposite wrist._

_"Just imagine how Time Force will congratulate us when we successfully reinvent morphing, creating the single most powerful Morpher in the known universe," she said with a smile._

 _"Or they could fire us for possession of illegal materials and for unauthorized genetic experimentation,"_

She smiled warmly, recalling exactly how different she was back then. She was much more free spirited, willing to take risks, while Leo was the more conservative one. _'Funny how things change,'_ she thought to herself.

Camille picked up the Morpher, opening a small compartment on the side and examining the wires closely. She used a pair of tweezers to pull the wire out, stripped it, and then connected it to a different set of wires. As soon as she did, the lights along the side of the Morpher lit up, blinking in sequence.

"I think that's it," she mumbled to herself, putting the Morpher on her wrist.

She reached for the second Morpher, putting on the opposite wrist, admiring the both of them. It had taken she and Leo years to perfect the design schematic, and now, she was convinced that it was ready for a trail run.

She put her arms down at her side, and then bent her elbows as the morphers collided with one another near her chest, making an X shape with her forearms. _"TIME FOR, TIME…"_ before she could finish her sentence, there was a surge of power, and a wave of electricity raced through her body. It was enough to make her collapse to the floor, hitting her head on the side of the table on the way down.

~~

"Camille sweetie, do you hear me?" she heard a voice say.

She managed to open her eyes slowly, only to see Trip standing over her with a concerned look on his face. "Cammy, you're okay," he sighed.

"What…"

"Looks like you hit your head pretty hard," he reached for his Morpher. "Trip to infirmary, I have a medical emergency in…" she quickly reached up, grabbing his hand.

"No… I'm fine," she groaned.

"You don't _look_ fine. What were you in here trying to do in the first place? I called you, but…" he paused as he noticed the two morphers on each of her wrists. "Oh no, you didn't," he sighed.

She sat up, making it back to her feet. "Don't be mad honey, I had to do it," she said.

"No, you didn't. I understand you made a promise to a friend, but if keeping that promise means killing yourself in the process, I…" she cut him short.

"I told you I'm fine. I must have missed a phase variance in the Morpher, that's all. I'll work on it again and then I'll try it again," 

"No, you won't," he snatched both the morphers off her wrists, throwing them to the floor. "What you're doing here is _illegal._ This is what got you fired in the first place, do you really wanna start this again?" he snapped.

"I'm old enough to make decisions for myself, and I'm going to do this," she told him.

"Do you even have any idea what you're doing? Developing a Morpher takes _years_ of research and planning, not to mention an entire staff of people working on it. There's no way you can know what you're getting into with this," he said.

"So what are you gonna do Trip? Tell Tommy? Tell Alex? Have Time Force come in here and strip my lab apart? This is something I _have_ to do, and if you're not going to support me on this, I'll do it without you," Camille told him.

"I'm sorry," he turned his back to her. "I can't help you this time," he sighed.

"Then I guess I'm on my own," she groaned, walking out the room.

*

Dr. Crane paced back and forth in her lab, waiting to hear from her operative. It had been nearly seven hours, and her operative was a little over an hour late from their scheduled communication. As the wait got the best of her, she began to assume the worst. _'Those damn Time Force brats figured it out and are probably on their way here right now to…' _she took a deep breath. _'Relax Sierra, you're blowing this out of proportion. He'll contact you soon, I'm sure of it,'_ she told herself.

No sooner than she sat down did the small light on her control panel blink. She quickly opened a subspace channel. "Report," she demanded.

_'Everything is going according to schedule. I'm piggybacking this signal off one of their own carrier signals. They won't be able to detect it, but its audio only,'_ a voice said.

"Very good. Have you been able to access the slipstream?"

'Negative. There's been a lot of debate about allowing me to return to duty. I assure you, once I am released from the infirmary, its only a matter of time before I gain access to the slipstream,'

"And you're sure no one suspects you?" she asked.

'No one here has any clue ma'am. As far as they know, I am who I say I am. Its only a matter of time now,'

"And the second operative? Have you established contact?" she asked.

'No, the opportunity hasn't presented itself to contact the operative, but it will,' 

"I'm very proud of you. Just get in there and do your job. The sooner its over, the sooner you can come home," she said.

'I look forward to it. I must terminate this transmission. Prolonged use will allow them to detect it. I will contact you when I have more information,'

Dr. Crane closed the channel, leaning back in her chair with a devious smile on her face. "Did you hear that Univex? Its only a matter of time," she sighed.

Just then, _he_ emerged from the shadows. There were spikes that seemed to cover his entire body, and he had long, flowing golden hair. His eyes had a sinister glow to them as he walked over to her.

"I've invested a lot into this plan of yours. For your sake, this better work," he warned.

"Trust me, it will,"

~~

**Preview: Academy days**

Next time on Parallels II: Time Force Academy welcomes its newest cadets. Meanwhile, Jen gets settled into her new position.

_~~_


	10. Academy days

**_Disclaimer: _**_Power Rangers Time Force and all related logos are property of Disney and/or Saban Entertainment. I am using them without permission. KJ Sheldon, Lt. James Emery, Trinity Oliver, Camille Summers, Amanda "Mandy" Scott, Mr. & Mrs. Mathew Scott, Leo Claw and the "Omega Project" are property of yours truly._

**_A/N: _**_This fic takes place about a week after the end of Future Shock II._

_Please take a moment to review. I live for reviews!!_

**~~**

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**_* New Silver Hills, California *_**

Time Force academy.

The building itself was one of the largest in the world, taking up more than half a city block. It stood nearly one hundred feet tall, and was on the most world-renowned establishments in human history. For almost twenty decades, it had been the hub of New Silver Hills, protecting not only the city, but the entire world from mutants, criminals and other dangers. It had produced some of the finest officers in history, and was the organization responsible for the Time Force Rangers.

Everyone knew about the legacy that the Power Rangers had set for themselves over the years, and it was the dream of every high school student to be accepted into the academy. Each year, hundreds of thousands of high school graduated, most of them graduating at the top of their class, applied to the academy, but only fifty students were accepted each year. Most people chose to skip college altogether with hopes of being in the academy, only to be turned away. 

Getting accepted to the academy was one of the highest honors anyone could receive, and with a success rate of over 95%, everyone who came out of the academy found themselves with a rewarding career. 

The test itself wasn't an easy one; both oral and written exams on theories in Quantum mechanics, a one hundred page workbook on temporal theories, not to mention the fire arms tests, the physical training and the bio-chemical tests. Though many people applied to the academy, only 1 in 5 ever passed the test and was granted an entrance interview with an official Time Force representative. From there, recommendations are made to the counsel, who then decides which 50 cadets who will be accepted. After a long, two-year process, cadets are given the chance to work hands on with established Time Force officers. Most cadets choose to work with the Time Force police, while others make their way to other divisions of Time Force.

Amanda stood in the mirror, putting the finishing touches on her outfit before the transport arrived. Though she wouldn't admit it to anyone, she was nervous about her first day. She'd heard horror stories from first year cadets about the instructors being so hard on them that cadets chose to drop out in the first six months. _'I worked too hard to get in. There's nothing that'll make me drop out the academy,'_ she thought to herself.

Her thoughts were broken as, in the mirror, she could see her mother walking into the room behind her. "I'm so proud of you honey, do you have any idea how many people are turned down every year for a position in the academy?" she asked.

She rolled her eyes, but made sure she didn't see her. "Yes mother, I know. I knew the last three hundred times you told me," she pointed out.

"Your father and I couldn't be prouder. Now we have two little girls in Time Force," she sighed.

For her, she knew the road ahead was going to be even harder. Not only would she be forced to keep up with the advanced curriculum that Time Force gave her, she'd have to overcome being in the shadow of the great _Captain Jennifer Scotts._ She wasn't looking forward to it, but was determined to make her own mark in Time Force.

"I know mom,"

"The transport will be here any minute to pick you up. Do you have everything?" she inquired.

"I've got everything mom, really," 

"When you get there and get settled in, make sure you call us so we can come visit you. Do you know who your room mate will be?" she asked her.

"Not yet, I won't meet them until I go to orientation,"

Her mother walked over to her, wrapping her arms around her. "I know you don't like it when I get emotional on you, but I can't stress how proud we are of you. Your father and I applied to the academy dozens of times, but neither of us ever got accepted. Seeing your sister in a Time Force uniform for the first time brought a tear to my eye, and I never thought in a million years that you would get accepted as well. Maybe you'll get lucky and you can be a Power Ranger like she did," she told her.

She backed away. "Mom, you're doing it again. You're comparing me to Jen. I'm going to make my own footsteps, not follow in hers," she pointed out.

"I'm sorry Mandy, it's just that…"

"I know mom. Once I get settled in, I'd love for you and dad to come see me. I promise to come home for holidays and weekends too," Amanda assured her.

"I know you will,"

Just then, her father rushed into the room. "Mandy, the transport is here. Its time," he said.

"Well," she took a deep breath. "This is it,"

"Good luck honey," he said, wrapping his arms around her.

Amanda reached for her duffle bag, putting the strap over her shoulder and headed out the room. Her parents watched as she made her way out the house, getting on board the transport. They stood in the doorway and watched as it pulled away.

"She's going to be fine," he assured her.

"I know she will," she sighed.

**_* Xybria *_**

It was all still a little disconcerting her for. In a way, he _was_ her brother. Everything about him was exactly the same; the hair, the eyes, the voice, even the way he folded his arms when he was upset. Although he looked exactly like her brother, sounded like him, even had most of the memories of their childhood together, she _knew_ it wasn't him. 

Still, she couldn't help but grow attached to him. 

Seeing the two of them together changed things for her. For a while, she was content with knowing that somehow, someway, there was an exact copy of her older brother. Her parents accepted him as if he were their own child, even she accepted him, but seeing her _real_ brother a few days ago made it harder for her to deal with. It was that defining moment when she decided what she had to do.

"You're sure I can't talk you out of this Sasha?" Trip asked her as he stood on the doorway, watching her pack the last of her things.

"I was sure the last sixty times you asked me," she turned to him. "This is something I _have_ to do," she told him.

"I know, but it just won't be the same around here without you," he sighed.

"Oh come on, you should be enjoying the fact that your kid sister isn't poking around in your business anymore," she said.

Her statement was enough to make him pause, taking a step towards her. "Theres something I want to tell you, something I should have a long time ago," he sat down on her bed, motioning for her to join him. She quickly sat down next to him. "In my world, where I came from, I did a lot of things I wasn't proud of. On my world, when the mutant attacks begin, my sister and I were out shopping on the Strip. You… I mean, _she_ always liked to go there," he said.

"I do too," she sighed.

"The attack started across the street from us. The mutants were running loose in the city, and the Power Rangers showed up to stop them. They told all the civilians to take cover, instructing us to get as far away as we could. I grabbed her hand and we started running, but one of the mutants cut us off. It hit her, and it was enough to knock her against a parked car across the street. The rangers managed to capture the mutant, but it was too late. By the time we got her medical attention, it was too late. She was already gone. Part of me blamed the rangers for what happened, but deep down, I knew they did everything they could," he told her.

"Why are you telling me this?" she asked, wiping the tear away from her eye.

"Because coming here, to this reality, to this world, gave me a second chance to be with my sister. I know I'll never _really_ be your brother, but there were times when we were together that I forgot all about that other world I was from. I'm going to miss you poking around in my business," he sighed.

"Oh Trip," she cried, wrapping her arms around him. "If it means anything to you, you will always be like a brother to me,"

"Thanks Sasha," he sighed.

Just then, her father walked into the room. "Sasha, the ship is here to take you to Earth," he told her.

She wiped her eyes, standing up and grabbing her bag. "Thanks daddy," she turned to Trip. "I'm expecting a sub-space transmission from you everyday, and you better bring your ass to Earth every holiday to see me," she said.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," he assured her.

It was her father who wrapped his arms around her next. "Sasha, are you sure you're ready for Time Force academy?" he inquired.

"The question is: is Time Force academy ready for _me_?" she replied with a smile, walking out the room.

**_* Time Force Headquarters ~~ New Silver Hills *_**

****

****

"Are you nervous about your first day?" Katie asked her.

KJ turned to her with a monotone look on her face. "I am not capable of feeling that emotion Lt. Commander Kathryn Taylor. I assure you, your concern is unwarranted," she told her.

"I told you KJ, you don't have to call me by my title," she brought up.

"On the contrary, as a cadet at Time Force academy, it is required by all cadets to address superior officers by their rank," she pointed out.

Katie shrugged her shoulder. "Well yeah, I guess, but we're not at the academy now. You can drop the rank for now," she said.

"As you wish… Katie,"

"I'm sure you'll do just fine in the academy," she said.

"Of that I have no doubt. I have processed over two hundred billion terraquads of information pertaining to Time Force and it's general operation. I am reasonably sure that I know as much as my instructors, if not more," she said.

"I'm sure you do, but there's more to Time Force than just memorizing information from a textbook or computer,"

"All the information I have processed came directly from the mainframe at Time Force Headquarters, and I have assimilated all the written text that the academy has to offer. What more can there be?"

"The experience of it all. Yeah, you'll have to learn everything they have to teach you, but some things can't be taught in a classroom. You'll interact with other cadets, be put in real life combat situations, and even work hands on in the temporal mechanics division. I'm sure nothing you read will prepare you for what the academy will teach you," Katie explained.

"There is still no cause for concern, I will function within expected parameters," she paused, noticing the odd look on Katie's face. "I mean, I will be fine,"

"I'm sure you will,"

KJ walked over to her. "Kathryn, I am observing your facial expressions and change in pitch as you speak. If I am judging correctly, I would conclude that you have… mother hen syndrome,"

"What?"

"Ensign Clark referred to it as mother hen syndrome. You are apprehensive about my being accepted into the academy, you feel as though you are losing a child," she brought up.

"I guess so, in a way,"

"There is no need for this emotion. We will still come in contact with one another with your duty shifts are over and during my off periods from the academy. We will still, as Ensign Clark put it, _just hang out and chill,_" she assured her.

"Sounds like you spend a lot of time with Ensign Clark," she pointed out.

"Yes, Ensign Clark and I _hang out and chill_ quite often. I find his company entertaining," KJ said.

"Sounds like someone has a crush on Anthony,"

"Though the punch lines to his jokes often make little to no sense, I do not wish to crush him. Furthermore, I lack the adequate size and strength to crush him," she said. 

Katie couldn't help but laugh. "No, not crush him literally. I meant that you're interested in him romantically,"

"You misunderstand. I am not capable of any romantic interest; I am not programmed to…" she was cut short.

"Were you programmed to refuse an order from the Harvengers and save us?"

"Because most of my memory engrams have been replaced, I have no knowledge of that event. Therefore, I am unable to answer your question," she said.

"I suppose not,"

"However, I will say that I tend to prefer the company of Ensign Anthony Clark more so than other officers in Time Force. He is… intriguing," KJ said.

"If you say so," she paused. "Well, you should get going. When I get off duty, I'll come by your quarters and find out how your first day at the academy went,"

"I look forward to _just hanging out and chilling_ with you Katie," 

"Yeah, me too," Katie said with a smile as she walked out the room.

~~

The room was full of cadets, all of them from different parts of the galaxy. Each of them stood in the room being overlooked by a balcony of sorts. Along the walls were pictures of former Time Force officers, members of the original counsel and graduates of the academy.

All of the cadets were talking amongst themselves until _he_ stepped out onto the balcony, clearing his throat to get their attention. Once the room was completely quiet, he removed his deeply tinted sunglasses, and then put his arms behind his back.

"All of you are here because you are the best and brightest that the galaxy had to offer. Most of you graduated at the top of your class in high school; maybe you even won awards for outstanding achievement from your school. Well, as of this moment, all of that means absolutely nothing. You may have been the big fish where you came from, but here, you'll just a little fish in a much bigger pond. Here, you start from the bottom and work your way up. Here, you won't be given any special treatment because what you did at your high school, or for your planet. Here, no one will respect the things you've done in the past. If you plan to succeed here, you'll have to earn respect based on what you do here and now. Honestly, I don't expect all of you to make it. There are always a few cadets who fall short of what we expect here. My name is Counsel Member Alexander Collins, and I can promise you that the next two years of your life won't be easy. But, if you survive, you will have the chance to be the absolute best at what you do. There are four major divisions to Time Force: Temporal Mechanics, Quantum Theories, Mathematic Computations and Engineering. During your two years here, maybe longer for some of you, will you master each of these subjects. If there any of you who feel as though this is too much for you, I have officers posted at each entry way who will be more than willing to escort you to a transport ship. But, if you're ready to give 110%, welcome to Time Force," he said.

~~

"Geez I thought that guy would never shut up," Sasha said as she walked out the room, reviewing her schedule.

Other students were filing out of the room as well, all of them making their way towards their first class.

"I heard things about him. Rumor has it he tried to date one of the cadets here, but she dumped him for his brother or something," a young man said, walking alongside her.

"I'm Sasha," she introduced, extending her hand to him.

"Khalil. Khalil Taylor," he said. "You're an Xybrian, aren't you?"

"Yeah,"

"Is it true you can see the future?" he asked her.

"That's a misconception. That's not really the way it…" she was cut short as _she_ walked over to them. 

"Excuse me, do either of you have Temporal Mechanics for first period?" she asked, occasionally staring down at a clipboard.

"I do," Sasha said.

"So do I. I heard that the instructor was a real asshole though," Khalil mentioned.

The woman looked at him oddly. "Oh really?"

"Yeah. I hear he's a Captain from the Temporal Investigations unit, but I haven't seen'em yet," he said.

"What's the name on your schedule?"

He glanced down. "Captain Scotts," he said.

"Do you have that class too?" Sasha asked her.

"You could say that. I'm Captain Jennifer Scotts, your instructor," she said.

Khalil blushed, quickly realizing what he'd done. "Oh my God. I am so sorry sir… I mean, ma'am. If I had any idea it was you, I wouldn't have…"

"What? Called me an asshole?"

"No sir. I mean, yes ma'am. I mean…"

"At ease cadet, I don't want you to pop a blood vessel or something. Just relax," Jen told him.

"Yes sir," he mumbled nervously.

Jen turned to Sasha. "So, you're Trip's little sister, huh?" she asked.

"Yes ma'am. I'm Sasha, it's a pleasure to meet you," she said cheerfully.

"Same here,"

"I remember reading your paper of temporal causality loops and the probable effects of time travel in the modern world. I found it very interesting," she said.

"You actually understood it?"

"It made complete sense. I'd love to sit down with you and hear your thoughts about the actual possibility of time travel," Sasha said.

"I'd like that,"

"Oh please, everyone knows that time travel is impossible," Khalil said, injecting himself into the conversation.

Jen rolled her eyes. "You shouldn't be so close minded cadet, you'll never leave yourself open to the possibilities in front of you," she said.

"Yes ma'am. Of course ma'am,"

From a distance, Jen saw _her. _"My room is down the main hallway and on the right. I'll be there in a few minutes to go over my plans for the semester," Jen said. Without a word, Sasha and Khalil walked away, and Jen made her way towards the girl across the room. "Howdy stranger," she said.

The girl turned around. "Jen? Oh my God," she wrapped her arms around her. "I didn't expect to see you here," she said.

"I told you I planned on getting involved in what you did at the academy," she said.

"Still, I figured you'd be on duty or something. It's good to see you,"

"Same here Mandy,"

"I can't talk long, I have to get to my first class. I was talking to this guy named Khalil, and he said my instructor was an asshole," 

"I've heard that too,"

"You know anything about him?"

"Yeah," she paused. "I'm him,"

"What?"

"I'm the instructor for Temporal Mechanics," Jen said proudly.

"Oh my God, really? This is soooo cool. You can totally give me an A now," she said.

"Amanda," she groaned.

"Well, I had to try,"

"I've got the feeling this is going to be a very interesting year," Jen said.

~~

Preview: **Changes**

Next time on Parallels II: Camille's secret is discovered and Katie tries to track down the double agent in Time Force. Meanwhile, a former ranger is offered a chance to return to action.

_~~_


	11. Changes

**_Disclaimer: _**_Power Rangers Time Force and all related logos are property of Disney and/or Saban Entertainment. I am using them without permission. KJ Sheldon, Lt. James Emery, Trinity Oliver, Camille Summers, Leo Claw and the "Omega Project" are property of yours truly._

**_A/N: _**_This fic takes place about a week after the end of Future Shock II._

_Please take a moment to review. I live for reviews!!_

**_* Chyro Tech *_**

"Report," he said dryly, sitting down across from her.

"Everything is progressing as we thought it would. Time Force is now under the impression that there is an operative within their group, but they're unsure as to who it is," she said.

"Very good. Has our operative been allowed access to the slipstream yet?" he asked her.

She shook her head. "No, but I am not concerned. Everything has to be at the exact same time if this is going to work, but everything is falling into place as expected,"

"Univex has expressed his… _unwillingness_ to wait any longer. He had provided us with what _we_ need, now he wants his payment," he told her.

"I understand. In the next 72 hours, the plan will go off without a hitch, and Univex will trap the rangers once and for all. Then, with them out the way, we will have no problem taking over Time Force," she said.

"Model A6, what is its status?"

"KJ's role in the plan is going as expected. I have everything under control sir," she told him.

"Dr. Crane, you were selected for this mission because of your knowledge of robotics, and your level of expertise will be needed when we finally _do_ get our hands on the slipstream. When this is over, you will no doubt be promoted to admiral for your efforts. I'll be calling _you_ sir," he said.

"Lets not get too far ahead of ourselves sir," she said with a smile.

"Keep me updated on your situation, and alert me if there are any changes in the plan," he told her.

"Yes sir,"

"Dismissed,"

**_* Time Force Headquarters *_**

Camille walked down the hall nervously. She could tell from the tone in his voice when he asked to see her, there was something wrong. Besides, Alex wasn't well known for asking people to come to his office to tell them good news.

Her first thought was that Trip reported her, telling Alex about the experiments she'd been working on, but she dismissed that thought in a hurry. _'I know Trip doesn't approve of what I'm going, but he wouldn't turn me in,'_ she thought to herself. 

For some reason, the hall seemed much longer than usual. There was surreal feel about it as she made her way towards his office. She found herself staring at the door to his office, uneasy about going inside. Finally, she took a deep breath and pressed the button, alerting him to her presence.

Despite the tension she felt, she found it amusing that the chime on his door was the same sound of the original Power Ranger's communicators. She'd read the history logs, and heard stories from Tommy enough to recognize that sound a mile away.

_'Come,'_ a voice said from the other side of the door.

The doors slid open, and Camille walked in cautiously. Alex was sitting behind his desk, going through paperwork as he usually did, not even bothering to look up at her.

"You wanted to see me Alex?"

"Yes, have a seat," he said, still refusing to look at her. Finally, he put the papers in his desk, turning his attention to her. "I know what most of you think of me: You think I'm married to my work, too _by the book_ to read between the lines when a protocol is broken or a regulation is ignored," he said.

"_I_ didn't say it sir, _you_ did," she mumbled.

"I admit, sometimes I am a little too concerned with the rules and regulations, not taking the time to consider the human aspect of certain things, but I like to think I've changed over the last year or so," he said.

She had to admit, he had. Alex normally kept to himself, burying himself in his work and refusing to interact with the others unless he had to. As of late, Alex had loosened up a little; he went out with them after hours, and he had been much easier to talk to while at work. He wasn't as formal as he use to be, but there was still something about him that commanded respect.

"I think so too," she said cheerfully.

"Good," he took a folder out his desk, sliding it to her. "With that in mind, I want you to explain this to me,"

Camille grabbed the folder, glancing over the paperwork inside. "This says that several pieces of Trixyruim are unaccounted for in one of the science labs," she said dryly.

"I've also gotten reports of odd surges of power coming from deck fourteen. I've gone over the sensor readings myself, and the surges are definitely Trixyruim based," he added. "So is there something you want to tell me?"

Finally, she took a deep breath. "Permission to speak freely sir?" 

"Denied Lieutenant," he stood up. "I've checked the logs Camille, you've been in your lab experimenting with Trixyruim again. This is the same violation that got you fired a few years ago, do you really want to go down that road with me again?" he snapped.

"No sir,"

"This is your second offense, and it's punishable by imprisonment. Not Cryogenic containment, _imprisonment_. I should send your ass to Prison Planet and let you think about the implications of what you're going," he snapped.

"Yes sir,"

"Now explain to me why you've been working on illegal experiments and why I shouldn't have your ass on the next transport out of here," he told her.

She took a deep breath again, trying to control her emotions. "I did it for Leo," she sighed.

"You mean Leo Claw? He's gone, he died months ago," he pointed out.

"When I was originally fired from Time Force, Leo and I were working on the Morpher together. When you and the other authorities found out, I took full responsibility for it so Leo wouldn't be fired from Time Force as well. I hoped that he would finish the project, but he died before he got the chance. I felt like I owed it to him to finish it. Its what he would have wanted," she told him.

"You lied under oath to protect your friend?"

"Yes sir, I did,"

"And now you're conducting illegal experiments again to honor his memory?"

"Yes sir, I am,"

"Do you have any idea what you're toying with Camille? There's a reason we have a team of people working on Morpher technology. It's too much for one person to handle, and you're tampering with Trixyruim. If it's used incorrectly, you rip the fabric of the space/time continuum. I don't think you have any idea what you're…" he was cut short.

"I don't _you_ know what I'm capable of," she said.

"You think you can do in a few weeks what it took our leading scientists _years_ to do?" he snapped.

"Who do you think designed the upgrades for the Chrono morphers? Installed the homing beacons? Adding the cloaking devices, enabled site to site teleportation? It was me. Trust me Alex, I know what I'm doing," she said.

"Adding features to a Morpher is one thing, but creating a stable Morpher is another. You're talking about trans-dimensional rifts and subspace variances I don't think you've accounted for in your…" he was cut short again.

"But I have. I've examined my Morpher very closely, and I've had a chance to work with Adam's Morpher while I was repairing it, not to mention taking apart Carmen's Morpher and analyzing it. I have everything under control," she said.

Alex sat back down, leaning forward at his desk. "Tell me what you have so far,"

"With the Chrono morphers, the suit, the weapons and all the vehicles have been held in a trans-dimensional rift in the space/time continuum until needed. In essence, it almost works on the same principle as the slipstream: the weapons simply stay in this trans-dimensional rift until called for, and I've been able to map the temporal coordinates to that dimension and gave the Morpher a self contained trans-dimensional signature. With the variances out the way, I've used the Trixyruim to…" this time, she was cut short.

"Okay, so you've got the trans-dimensional rift operational, but there's absolutely nothing wrong with power source we're using for the Chrono morphers," he said.

"Are you aware of how much electrical energy the human body produces everyday?" she asked him.

"If I remember by physics class, quite a lot of energy,"

"What I've done is found a way to harness that energy, and in combination with the Trixyruim crystal, it enhances that energy by over 76%. Whoever wore the Morpher would have enhanced strength, speed and power," Camille said.

"That's dangerous Camille, tampering with someone's life energy. If something were to go wrong with the Morpher and there was an overload, it…"

"I've compensated for that by adding several buffers to the Morpher. The buffers would be able to filter out any overload and distribute the power evenly through all the systems," she told him.

Alex leaned back in his chair. "Sounds like you have all the bases covered," he sighed. "But that's no excuse for you violating protocol and starting these experiments without authorization," he said.

"Yes sir,"

"As of this moment, you are stripped of your rank and position in Time Force. May I have your Morpher?" he asked. Camille reluctantly removed her Morpher, handing it to him. "Dismissed,"

She stood up with a tear in her eye, making her way towards the door. "Ms. Summers," he called out, getting her attention.

She turned around. "Yes sir?"

"Report to deck three at 0900 tomorrow morning, I'll make sure there is a lab dedicated only to _your_ research on these new morphers. If you need additional personnel to assist you, let me know," he said.

She smiled. "Yes sir, thank you sir," she said eagerly.

"And just because I'm giving you a lab and a team to work with doesn't mean you have an excuse to neglect your duties on the slipstream project. If this new arrangement is going to work, you'll need to balance both of your duties effectively," Alex said.

"I will,"

"With any luck, when your project is done and I give you back your rank and position, you won't need this anymore," he said, holding up her morpher.

"Permission to hug you sir?" she requested.

He couldn't help but smile.

"Granted," he said as he stood up, making his way in front of the desk.

She walked over to him, wrapping her arms around him. "Thank you Alex, for everything," she sighed.

"Don't mention it,"

*

"Hi honey, I'm home," Nadira said as she walked into her quarters, tossing her Time Force jacket down across the couch. She headed into _his_ personal office, where he was sitting in front of the computer.

"Hey baby," he sighed, not taking his eyes off the screen. "How was work?"

"You know, same ole' same ole'. Defending this universe every other universe, nothing special," she said, wrapping her arms around him.

"Good,"

"You okay Lucas, you seem tense," she noticed.

"I got an unusual offer today, and I'm wondering about accepting it or not," he sighed.

"What kind of offer?"

He turned around, facing her. "Alex wants me to come back to work," he paused. "As a ranger," he told her.

"Oh my God, that is sooo great. It'll give us the chance to work together again and…" she paused. "Wait a minute, which Morpher are you getting? It's not mine, is it? Alex doesn't want me off the project, does he?" she asked.

"No, its nothing like that. Camille was put in charge of her own lab on deck three, and she had to give up her Morpher. Alex wants me to be the blue ranger again," he told her.

"Well, what did you tell him?"

"I told him I'd think about it, you know how I feel about Time Force and the way they do things," he mentioned.

"That was a long time ago, things are different now. Alex is the only counsel member we have, and he's been very fair to all of us since he took the job. I think things would be different for you this time around," she said.

"I don't know babe, I kinda like spending more time on the race track, working on my car and spending more time with you. If I went back to work, I'd hardly ever see you outside of work," he brought up.

"Yeah, but we could save the world together. It would be fun," Nadira said.

"This _would_ give me the chance to move up in the company. With Tommy and Jen only working limited schedules now, the slipstream project will need someone to take command in serious situations," he said.

"Katie has been doing a great job since she got promoted," she mentioned.

"Really?"

"Yeah,"

"Still, working on the slipstream project might do me some good. You know, gimme the chance to get out there and do something worth wild again," Lucas said.

"So you'll do it?"

"I don't know yet, I'll have to think about it,"

"With Adam still in the infirmary and no pink ranger, I think we could really use you down there. Lets face it, I'm not the greatest ranger that ever lived, and Emery is as bad as I am," she said.

"Don't say that, you're a great ranger,"

"Yeah, but I want to do so much more. I just want them to give me a chance," Nadira said.

"And you think if I was there you'd get more chances?"

"Maybe,"

"Well, Alex gave me until tomorrow afternoon to make my decision, I'll let you know what I decide then," Lucas said.

"Okay,"

*

Katie paced back and forth in the science lab, doing her best to control her emotions, but not doing a very good job. It had only been a day since Adam chased her out of the infirmary, refusing to see her. 

She tried to tell herself he was delirious, that he had been stranded on that world for almost two years and was confused about what was happening. She tried to imagine what it must have been like to be trapped on a world, away from everything and everyone, forced to live in a run down warehouse, not knowing when or where your next meal would come from. _'It had to be hard for him,'_ she thought to herself.

She wanted nothing more than to understand what he'd gone through, to help him through what she was sure was a difficult time, but he wouldn't let her.

"Commander," a voice said, getting her attention, breaking her train of thought and bringing her back to reality.

She glanced over, realizing that Lt. Emery was in the lab sitting at the controls.

"What is it James?"

"I'm detecting an odd carrier wave," he said.

She walked over to the controls. "Where is it coming from?" she asked him.

"Whoever it is is doing a good job of masking the signal. It looks like they're piggybacking the signal off on one of our own carrier waves," he said.

"Can you track it, find out who is sending it and where it the carrier wave is going?" she asked.

"I'm working on it," he paused, going over the readings. "Its coming from the infirmary, but I can't determine who is receiving the signal,"

"Can you tap into that signal so we can intercept the transmission?"

"I'll try it a try,"

~~

"I think someone is trying to intercept this transmission," Dr. Crane said, detecting a slight variance in their communication.

_'Are you sure? I doubt anyone would be able to track it to its source,'_ a voice said.

"Terminate the transmission and rebroadcast on a difference frequency when you have something new to report," she said.

_'As you wish,'_ the voice told her.

~~

"The transmission is gone," Emery said.

"What do you mean gone?"

"I mean someone must have detected us trying to track the transmission and shut it down," he said.

"Were you able to find out where the signal was going?"

"No, but I can tell you that it was audio only," he said.

"If it's only audio, there should be a log of that message in the computer date base, right?" she asked him.

"In theory, yes,"

"Get to work on it," Katie told him, making her way towards the door.

"Where are you going?"

"Down to the infirmary to see what the hell is going on. Have Trip meet me there," she said.

"I'm on it sir,"

*

The doors to the infirmary opened, and Katie and Trip walked in, looking around the room. It was Dr. Hamilton who walked over to them.

"Is there a problem Commander?" he asked her.

She glanced over at the examining tables, noticing that Logan was gone. "Where is Charles Logan?" she replied.

No sooner than she said it, Logan walked into the room, sitting down on his examining table. "Something I can do for you Commander?" he asked her.

"I detected a carrier wave coming from this location. How had access to the communication station in the last ten minutes?" Katie inquired.

"My duty shift just started about ten minutes ago, but Dr. Young was here. Both of my patients have been right here the entire time," he told her.

"Trip, take a look at the communications logs on that station, see if you can determine who it was and who they contacted," she ordered.

"I'm on it," Trip said, heading for the station.

"Someone in this room sent a carrier wave to an undisclosed location using a piggyback method. I want to know who it was," she said.

"Lt. Park is still heavily sedated, and Captain Logan has been with me the entire time," Dr. Hamilton brought up.

"Where was he just now?"

"Urine sample," Logan said, holding up a small cup and handing it to the doctor.

"You know I'll cooperate in any way I can to help you find what you're looking for Commander, but I don't see how anyone could have sent a carrier wave from here without me knowing about it," he told her.

Trip walked over to her. "Katie, this station is clean. Where ever the carrier wave came from, it wasn't here," he said.

"Are you sure?"

"I've checked and double checked the logs. There hasn't been a communication from that station in the last 72 hours," he told her.

"Thank you for your time doctor," Katie said, motioning for Trip to follow her out the room. The two of them walked into the hallway, heading down the hallway. "Trip, is there any way to monitor what goes on in the infirmary without anyone knowing?"

"I could set up a multi-functional…"

"Just do it. If a transmission comes out of that infirmary, I want to know about it," she said.

"It should only take a few minutes to set up. I'll head down to the lab and contact you when it's done," he said, walking away.

*

"You assured me that this plan of yours would go off without a hitch. The rangers are already suspicious of foul play," Univex said as he stormed into the lab, grabbing the doctor by the throat.

She gasped for air, trying to break free of his grip. "Its all going according to plan," she managed to mumble.

"How so?" he asked, letting her go.

Dr. Crane fell to her knees, trying to catch her breath. "Having the rangers detect our carrier way, which is why I allowed the transmission to go as long as it did. Soon, our plan will take shape and we'll have access to the slipstream. When we do, it will mark the end of the Power Rangers," she told him.

"For your sake, it better," he warned.

~~

Preview: Field trip 

Next time on Parallels II: Jen takes her class on a field trip, but something goes horribly wrong.

_~~_


	12. Field Trip

**_Disclaimer: _**_Power Rangers Time Force and all related logos are property of Disney and/or Saban Entertainment. I am using them without permission. KJ Sheldon, Lt. James Emery, Trinity Oliver, Camille Summers, Leo Claw and the "Omega Project" are property of yours truly._

**_A/N: _**_This fic takes place about a week after the end of Future Shock II._

_Please take a moment to review. I live for reviews!!_

~~

"You sure this is a good idea Jennifer?" he asked her as he walked into the room, sitting down on the bed.

Jen was standing in front of the mirror as she got dressed. She couldn't help but admire the way she looked, standing sideways to get a better look at her stomach. It was hard for her to believe that _she_ was going to be a mother in less than six months. _'My life has changed so much in the last year,'_ she thought to herself.

She wasn't a ranger anymore, and had taken a job as a professor at the academy. She loved the idea of shaping the future leaders of Time Force, and was having a great time doing it. _'Plus it gives me a chance to spend some time with Amanda,'_ she thought, cracking a smile.

"I already got it approved by Alex, and yes, I'm sure this is a good idea. Trust me, everything will be fine," she told him.

"But you're talking about taking a bunch of cadets through time. Geez, why couldn't you just take them to the museum like most teachers do on field trips?" he asked.

She walked over to him, kissing him warmly on the lips. "Will you relax? I was traveling through time long before you even knew it was possible," she said.

"Actually, I'd traveled through time twice 1000 years before you were even born," he corrected.

"Whatever Oliver," she sighed. "Listen, the field trip will take about three hours, but from your perspective, I should only be gone a few minutes. You wanna go get something for breakfast when I get back?"

"Sounds good," He stood up, wrapping his arms around her. "Just take of yourself Scotts. The last time you were in the past, you died," he pointed out.

"Well, we can't all live to be 1000 something years old," she backed away from him. "Ya know, it just occurred to me, you're way too old for me," she said.

"I always liked younger women," he laughed.

"I'll see you in a few minutes honey," she said as she kissed him one more time, then headed out the room.

**_*_**

****

"Come on guys, aren't we a little too old to be going on field trips? Where is she taking us anyway, the museum or something?" Khalil asked as he sat down on top of his desk in class, waiting for the professor to arrive.

"Maybe it's the petting zoo. I use to like playing with the lamas," Amanda brought up.

"I think where ever Professor Scotts wants to take us will benefit us. Obviously there's something she wants us to see," Sasha mentioned.

"I still don't see what a field trip has to do with temporal theories. I thought we were suppose to be studying about the space/time continuum and talking about…" he was cut short as Jen walked into the room, setting her books down on her desk.

"Good morning guys," she turned to the chalkboard, writing something. "We have a few minutes before our ship gets here for the field trip, so I wanted to take this time to talk about something with you," she said.

"Time travel?" Sasha asked, reading what Jen had written on the board.

"Exactly,"

"But ma'am, its been proven that time travel is impossible," Khalil pointed out.

KJ, who was sitting next to him, was ready to say something, but Jen motioned for her to stop. She walked over to his desk, staring at him. "It amazes me that you made it through the entrance exams with such a narrow mind. The idea of this class is to discuss all types of temporal theories, time travel is one of them," she said.

"Yes ma'am," she sighed.

"Now," she headed back to her desk. "Who wants to volunteer for an experiment?" she asked.

"I will," Amanda said, raising her hand.

Jen motioned for her to come to the front of the class. "Lets say that Cadet Scotts here fell madly in love with Cadet Taylor over there," the class giggled. "They get together, fall in love and get married. Now, three years later, I traveled back to a point in time _before_ the two of them met and arrange it so they never meet. Would Khalil miss being with her?" she asked him.

It was Sasha who raised her hand. "No, he wouldn't miss her because he would have never met her," she said.

"Correct," Jen said.

"Wait a sec, but you just said the two of us met and fell in love. We got married, why wouldn't she miss me?" he asked.

"Because when I stopped the two of you from meeting, she eventually met someone else and never knew what it was like to be with you," she said.

"So she wouldn't even remember a time when we were together?"

"No, and that's called the ripple effect," Jen said. She motioned for Amanda to sit back down. "Once that one moment was changed, other events were affected as well. If Amanda and Khalil eventually had a child, that child would no longer exist. The things they did wouldn't have happened, and an entirely new reality is created," she explained.

"So you're saying that time travel is possible?" Amanda asked.

"Yes. Not only is it possible, it happens almost everyday,"

"So why don't we ever see when stuff changes?" Khalil asked. "I mean, if someone was going around changing things in the past, wouldn't we be able to see stuff changing right in front of us?"

"No, that's because of the ripple effect. From your perspective, nothing has changed. In our first example, we talked about how Amanda met someone else and never fell in love with Khalil. Later, maybe Khalil falls in love with someone else, but because you never had knowledge of ever being with Amanda, it would appear to you that nothing ever changed," she explained.

"What if someone went in time and stopped Time Force from being created? Wouldn't we realize it was gone?"

"No, because the ripple effect would change the present as we know it. We would have no knowledge of Time Force, thus we wouldn't realize it was missing," Jen said.

KJ raised her hand. "I have always been curious about the concept of the pre-destination paradox. Could you please give us an example?" she inquired.

She paused. "You're getting a little ahead of yourself KJ. Sooner or later we will discuss the theories of pre-destination paradox, but not today," she told her.

"So where is this field trip?" Amanda asked.

"I've talked to Counsel Member Collins, and he has authorized us to take a time ship to the 21st century," she said.

"You're tellin' me Time Force has time ships that can go back in time? Yeah right," Khalil groaned.

"We will visit Bio-Lab, which was instrumental in the formation of Time Force. If not for Bio-Lab and the Silver Guardians, Time Force as we know it wouldn't be here," she said.

"You're actually going to take us back in time?"

"Yes. But before we go, there's something I want to show all of you outside. If you'll come with me," she said, motioning for them to follow.

~~

The group made their way outside the building, standing in front of Time Force academy. "This is the exact spot that Bio-Lab was over 1000 years ago. If I'm correct, about twenty feet to the left is where the Silver Guardians use to do their training exercises," on the side of the building was a shovel, which she handed to Khalil. "I want you to dig right there," she said, pointing to the spot in front of them.

Without question, he began to shovel, pulling up dirt and tossing it to the side in a pile. He got about six inches down when he hit something. He quickly leaned down, pulling a small capsule bigger than a shoebox out the ground. "What is it?"

"Open it," she said.

Khalil opened it, looking inside. "It's a picture," he said. "It's a picture of us with some other people," he said.

Amanda and Sasha got a good look at it. "Looks like training grounds, but I don't remember ever taking this picture," Sasha said. 

"That's because you haven't yet," she said.

"What?"

"Read the back,"

He flipped it over. "It says: _March 19th, 2007. Bio-Lab_," Khalil said. "How is that possible?"

"Who are these people in the blue uniforms?" Sasha asked.

"Those are the Silver Guardians. This is a picture we took on our trip to Bio-Lab," Jen told them.

"But we haven't even gone yet,"

"I know, but the fact is we _will._ When we do, we'll take that picture," she said.

"I am well versed in the concepts of time travel and alternate realities, but this is the most intriguing example of time travel I have ever seen," KJ mentioned.

"I'm glad you guys liked it, but now its time to get going," Jen said.

~~

The group headed to the launching bay, where Alex was waiting for them.

"Your time ship is prepped and ready for launch," he told her.

"Thanks Alex,"

"The auto-pilot is engaged, so all you have to do is sit back and enjoy the ride. When you get there, you'll have three hours to do what you're going to do. The time ship is on an auto timer, and will return to this point in time with or without you, so make sure you're back on time," he told them.

"Alright guys, pile in," Jen said.

One by one, the cadets boarded the time ship, taking their seats. "I don't believe this. We're going to travel back in time," Sasha said eagerly.

"I'm still not impressed. That picture could have been a fake for all we know, it doesn't prove anything," Khalil said.

"How much more proof do you need? We're _inside_ a time ship. And that picture was almost 1000 years old, there was no way to fake something like that," Amanda said.

"I do not understand why someone who does not believe in the concept of time travel would even consider applying to an academy where the theories of time travel are taught," KJ brought up.

"I joined the academy because I want to be a Time Force officer, I want to make a difference. I didn't sign up so I could travel back and forth through time and screw things up," he said.

"You guys ready?" Jen asked as she stepped onto the ship. The door closed behind her, and she took her seat. "This is going to be a little bumpy, so hold on," she said.

~~

Alex stood outside the ship and watched as it took off, making it's way towards the blue swirling vortex in the sky. It disappeared into the vortex, and moments later, the vortex was gone. 

He'd been in Time Force for years, he'd traveled back in time several times, but there was nothing like watching it from the outside. Time was a tricky thing, and even though for him, Jen and the others had only been gone a few seconds, for them, it had been hours. No sooner did the vortex close, another one opened, and the time ship came through again.

It was enough to make him crack a smile as he walked over to the control panel to open a channel to the ship…

… but the ship exploded.

****

~~

Preview: Field trip pt. II 

Next time on Parallels II: Univex travels to the past to destroy Jen and the cadets, hoping to destroy Time Force before it's even formed. 

_~~_


	13. Field Trip pt II

**_Disclaimer: _**_Power Rangers Time Force and all related logos are property of Disney and/or Saban Entertainment. I am using them without permission. KJ Sheldon, Lt. James Emery, Trinity Oliver, Camille Summers, Leo Claw and the "Omega Project" are property of yours truly._

**_A/N: _**_This fic takes place about a week after the end of Future Shock II._

_Please take a moment to review. I live for reviews!!_

**_* Chryo Tech 3002  AD *_**

****

****

"I have grown tired of the petty cat and mouse game with the rangers. If you will not do anything, I will," Univex said, reaching for his staff.

"What are you doing to do?" Dr. Crane asked him.

"There is a temporal vortex opening right now. I am going to follow their time ship and eliminate it before it can return," he told her.

"But if you do, you'll be discovered and our plan will be…"

"Silence. I have had enough of your idiotic plan. I will destroy Time Force and collect my payment myself. Then, with the Time Force rangers in my possession, I just may come after your precious Chryo Tech," he warned.

His staff began to light up. Soon, the room was filled with a bright, yellow light. Dr. Crane covered her eyes to shield them from the light, but when it died down, Univex was gone.

**_* Time Force Headquarters *_**

****

****

Tommy sat in his quarters, waiting eagerly for _her_ to return. Though she'd only been gone five minutes, he knew that from her perspective, it had already been hours. She'd promised that when she returned, they would be able to go to breakfast together.

_'Good, we can talk more about the wedding,'_ he thought to himself. 

His leave was almost over, and there were so many things left to talk about. The wedding was less than a week away, and he still hadn't gotten himself a suit. _'I can't plan the rest of this wedding by myself,'_ he thought. There were still flowers, the cake, not to mention organizing the guests as they arrived. As a wedding gift, Alex was allowing their friends and families to attend the wedding. While they wasn't much of a problem for Jen, it required going through time to bring his family to the event. _'Wes and Kim will be here. Trinity is coming, I'm sure Eric will bring his wife, too,'_ he thought.

It was all too much for him to deal with, and he welcomed any distraction that would take him away from the hectic wedding planning.

_'Lt. Emery to Commander Oliver. Respond,'_ a voice said.

"Right on time," he reached for his Morpher. "What is it James?" 

_'I understand you're still on leave sir, but I thought you would want to know about this; I'm picking up a temporal displacement,'_ Lt. Emery told him.

"Relax James, that's Jen taking one of the time ships. It was authorized," he told him.

_'I know sir, but I'm picking up **another** displacement** inside** the vortex,'_ he said.

"What?"

_'According to them, someone else has traveled to the exact point in time that Jen and her class has gone to,'_ he said.

"Who?"

_'I'm not sure sir, but the variances inside the displacement didn't originate from Time Force. There is an external force at work here,'_ he said.

"Chryo Tech," he sighed. "Can you open a channel to Jen?"

'No sir, she doesn't have a Morpher anymore,' 

"Alert Counsel member Collins and have him meet me in the launch bay in ten minutes. I have an idea," Tommy said, rushing out his quarters.

****

****

**_* New Silver Hills, California March 19th, 2007 AD *_**

****

****

"They should be here any minute now," Wes said as he paced back and forth across the training grounds, glancing upward every once in a while, recalling the last time he saw Jen…

_"Trinity, Alex, have you got that teleportation system working yet?" Jen asked._

_'Yes and no,' a voice said._

_"What do you mean yes and no?"_

_'Yes, the system is on line and ready. We've been able to lock onto your Morpher and can teleport you out of there, but because of the radiation coming from the cobolt device, we can't get a positive lock without running the risk of scattering your atoms into space/time continuum,' Trinity explained._

_"Wes and Kim are here too, what do you suggest?" she asked._

_"I suggest all of you prepare to die," they heard a voice say. The three of them turned around as Frax walked into the room, locking the door behind him. "Because none of you are leaving," he told them._

_"Stand by Trinity," Jen switched on the detonator. "We've got three minutes, and if I have to stay here to make sure you get blown to bits, so be it," she told him._

_"You really think it's that simple, don't you?" he laughed. "Sacrifice yourself to stop me and save the Earth? Sorry to disappoint you ranger," he said, reaching for a small controller in his hand and pushed the button. "What the…"_

_"Trying to teleport out of here? There's too much radiation from the cobolt device," she said._

_"Looks like you're stuck in here with us," Kim mentioned._

_"This is impossible," he groaned as he tried again, but with no luck. "If we're going to be destroyed, I'd rather it be with my hands around your throat," he said, rushing towards Jen._

_He grabbed her, but she fell back, hitting a judo style toss, flipping him over and up against the wall. Frax got back to his feet, pulling out a disrupter._

_"I wouldn't shoot that if I were you. The radiation in here would detonate and kill us all," Wes pointed out._

_"It doesn't matter. If I'm dying, you're coming with me," he said._

_He was about to pull the trigger, but Kim kicked the disrupter out his hand, catching it in mid air and aiming it at him. "Your time is out," she said proudly._

_"I think you mean your time is up sweetheart," Wes corrected._

_"Yeah, what he said,"_

_"You fools, in thirty seconds it won't matter," Frax told them._

_Jen reached for her Morpher. "Trinity, Alex, now would be a good time for a miracle," she said._

_'We've got a lock, but you have to get as far away from the generator as you can. There's seems to be an ionic flux coming from inside the room,' Alex told her._

_"Ionic flux? From where?"_

_'Unknown,' he said._

_"Its over rangers. We're all going to die in here," Frax screamed._

_ "Wes, Kim, get to the opposite end of the room now," Jen ordered. Without saying a word, the two of them headed to the farther end of the room, holding one another. Jen reached for her Morpher again. "Guys, do you still have that lock on my Morpher?" she asked._

_'Yes, and the radiation levels seem lower where ever you're standing,' Alex said._

_'Captain, this is Trinity. The teleportation system won't be able to get all three of you. Maybe two, but that's all I can promise,' she said._

_"Understood. Begin teleportation sequence," she ordered._

_'Beginning transport… now,' she said._

_Jen quickly took off her Morpher, throwing it to Kim. On instinct alone, Kim caught up. "Goodbye Wes," Jen sighed._

_"Jen no!" he yelled, but he and Kim disappeared into a stream of light._

_… and the generator exploded._

For days he was convinced that Jen was dead; that she'd sacrificed her life to save him. He wished he'd had the chance to tell her how she'd changed his entire life, how there would always be a part of him that was passionately in love her. _'I wish I could live 3000 years so we could be together again,'_ he recalled telling her once.

Funny how things turned out…

The rangers were able to find Jen and save her, and he _did_ get a chance to tell her how he felt. Since then, he and Kimberly Hart had gotten married, and were debating whether or not to have a child of their own. He loved Trinity with every fiber of his being, but Trinity was Kim's daughter, not his. There was a part of him that felt jipped for not having a child of his own, but still raising someone else's.

"Relax Collins, they'll be here," Eric told him, breaking Wes' train of thought.

Wes looked at his watch. "She said 0915 hours. That was five minutes ago. I hope everything is okay," he said.

"Wes, they're in a _time machine_, you think five minutes really makes a difference?" he brought up.

"Guess not,"

Just then, a vortex appeared in the sky. Wes and Eric took a few steps back, holding their hands over their eyes as the ship landed on the Silver Guardian's training area. Once the ship touched down, the loading bay doors opened, and _she _stepped out.

"Wes, Eric," Jen squealed, rushing over to them.

She quickly wrapped her arms around Wes, taking a moment to hold him just for old times sake. Eric, on the other hand, simply nodded at her, cracking a half smile. "Good to see you Jen," he said.

"You too Eric," she walked over to him, patting his stomach. "Putting on a little weight, huh? Married life must be treating you well,"

"You're talking to _me_ about a little weight?" he joked.

"Whoa, this is intense," Sasha mumbled as she stepped off the time ship, getting a look around. Amanda, KJ and Khalil quickly followed her.

"Amazing," Amanda sighed.

"Class, this is Commander Eric Myers, the Quantum Ranger, and Wesley Collins. Guys, these are my students; Sasha, Amanda, KJ and Khalil," Jen introduced.

Wes walked over to them, shaking each of their hands. Again, Eric simply nodded at them. "Welcome to Silver Hills California, 2007," Wes said cheerfully. "I've arranged to have a Silver Guardian take each of you on a tour of different sections of Bio-Lab. After the tour, if any of you have questions, feel free to ask,"

"He looks just like Counsel Member Collins," Sasha sighed.

"_Counsel Member_?" Wes inquired.

"After the original counsel was killed, as the highest ranked officer, Alex took over," she quickly explained. "Class, Counsel Member Collins is a direct descendant of Wes, though we're still not exactly sure how," she told them.

"Okay, two of you can come with me to see our indoor training facilities. The others can go with Lt. Cooper to research and development. There will a group of scientists and professors there to talk to you," Eric announced.

Khalil and KJ headed towards Eric, while the others walked towards one of the Silver Guardians.

"Alright, we'll meet back here in two hours," Jen instructed.

**_* Time Force 3002  AD *_**

****

****

Tommy walked into the communications room, surprised to see that no one was on duty. He walked over to the main control panel, sitting down.

"Computer, open a temporal subspace channel to these coordinates," he said.

_'Coordinates accepted, opening channel,'_ the computer responded.

A few moments later, the view screen in front of him blinked on, and there _she_ was. "Hi daddy, what's up?" she asked him.

"Jen and a group of cadets should be on their way to you right now," he said.

"Yeah, they're here. They're taking the grand tour now," she told him.

"Listen, our sensors are picking up a variance inside the vortex. We think someone or some_thing_ used our time hole to come to your time. I need you to alert Jen to the situation and have her return to the time ship as soon as possible," he said.

"If you want, I could investigate. I still have Wes' Morpher," she brought up.

"No, we're not sure what came through, and I don't want you putting yourself at risk," Tommy told her.

"Okay, I'll just let Jen know,"

"Thank you Trinity. End transmission,"

**_* Bio-Lab 2007  AD *_**

"You're Max Cooper, the blue Wild Force ranger, aren't you?" Amanda asked as the three of them walked through the halls of Bio-Lab.

"I was, a long time ago," Max recalled.

"So how'd you end up here?"

"After my time as a ranger was over, I took a year to travel the world. When I came back, I tried my hand at bowling again, but I just felt like I needed to do something worth wild. I'd worked with Commander Collins before, so I decided to join the Silver Guardians," he explained.

"What do you mean you've worked with him before?"

"A few years back some mutants from the future escaped to the past. Time Force sent a group of rangers back to help us. At the time, Commander Collins was the red ranger," 

"So Professor Scotts has been here before?" Sasha asked.

"Who?" he paused. "Oh, you mean Jen. Yeah, she's been here before, but it was a long time ago," he mentioned.

"How cool is that? Your sister was a Power Ranger," she said.

Max paused. "Come to think of it, you _do_ look a little like Jen," he mentioned.

"I get that a lot,"

"Well, this is the place. My shift is over in about twenty minutes, but I'll come back to escort you to the training grounds when you're finished here," he told them, stopping in front of a door, then walked away.

Sasha and Amanda walked in, where there a woman standing in front of a work station going over calculations. She quickly glanced up, noticing them. "You guys are here for the tour?" she asked them.

"Yes. I'm Sasha, this is Mandy," she introduced.

"I'm Dr. Tanya Sloan, and this is my assistant Gabrielle Myers," the woman answered.

"But you can call me Gaby," her assistant added.

"Tanya Sloan? Weren't you a power ranger?" Amanda asked.

"Yes, a long time ago,"

"Myers? You're Eric's sister?" Sasha asked.

"No, his wife," Gaby corrected.

She blushed. "Oh God, I'm sorry," 

"Its okay. I'm going to go out on a limb here, but you're Xybrian, aren't you?" Gaby asked.

"Yes ma'am, I am,"

She turned to Amanda. "And you have to be Jen's little sister," she said.

"Yeah, that's me,"

"I'm sure that being from the future and all, everything here must look primitive to you, but we're really working on some group breaking things here," she motioned for them to follow her to the other side of the room. "Gaby and I been working on the models of the Lightspeed morphers for a while now, trying to find a way to improve on the design. Ms. Fairweather was ahead of her time with them, but we've been able to make some major modifications to them," she said, showing them one of the Morphers.

"Who are the rangers for this generation?" Amanda asked.

"There are no rangers as far as I know. The last group of rangers I can remember was the Dino Thunder rangers, but that was a few years ago. Since then, there hasn't been another incarnation of rangers that I've known," Gaby explained.

"But isn't Eric still the Quantum Ranger?"

"Yes, but there hasn't been much of a need to use it lately," Gaby said.

"So who are going to get these morphers?" Sasha asked.

"I'm not sure yet. Mr. Collins asked us to design a new set of morphers and gave us the funding I needed, but he didn't tell me why," Tanya said.

"I still can't believe we're here, in the past. This morning when I work up, I thought that time travel was just a theory, ya know? I thought it was something interesting to discuss in class, and one day, that time travel would be possible. Its amazing to know that its been going on for thousands of years," Amanda said.

"I wonder why Professor Scotts would want us to come here. To see this. We're only cadets, we shouldn't know about this kinda stuff yet,"

"I can only assume that Jen is preparing you for something. This is the first time I've heard about a group of cadets being taking through time on a field trip. There has to be a reason behind it," Gaby said.

"You know something, don't you?" Sasha asked.

"No,"

"Yes you do. I'm Xybrian, I can tell," she said, playing on the misconceptions of her people. It seemed as thought everyone who'd ever come across her race was under the impression that they could read minds, so she decided to use it to her advantage.

"I'm not suppose to tell you anything more than I already have," she sighed.

"Come on, we won't say anything,"

"I honestly don't know what's coming. All I do know is that we were told to create a new set of morphers and were given unlimited funding to do it. Then, six months later, I was told to expect a group of Time Force cadets from the future to tour the building. I'm not an expert, but I'd say that they're prepping you guys for something big," she explained.

"But the question is… what?"

**_*_**

"From what I hear, Time Force has some of the toughest training courses in history," Eric brought up as they walked into the training room.

"That is correct. Each cadet must be able to successfully pass several endurances trails, hand to hand and combat types, and an obstacle course to even be considered for entry," KJ told him.

"So if both of you are so well trained, neither of you should have a problem taking me on," he said.

"You want us to fight you?" Khalil asked.

"I want to see what Time Force taught you guys. I'm willing to bet that this training of yours isn't as hard as you think,"

"I do not wish to injury you, sir," KJ said.

"You think you can injury _me_?"

"Sir, I think it is only fair to warn you that I…" she was cut short.

"You don't have to warn me cadet, just give me your best shot," Eric said.

The two of them stood on a mat across from one another, bowing slightly, then both moved into a fighting position. Eric swung the first punch, but KJ sidestepped him. Eric swung again, but this time, KJ caught his hand. Eric tried for a sweep, but KJ did a back flip, avoiding his sweep and twisting Eric's arm in the process. Now, she was behind him, holding onto his arm. Eric cocked back with an elbow to the jaw, but hurt himself.

"What the hell?"

"As I tried to warn you sir, I am an android," she said.

"Holy Christ, you could have told me that before I broke my elbow on your face,"

"I tried to sir, but…"

"Yeah whatever. I'm going down to the medical bay to get this checked on. I'll send one of the Guardians in here to show you the rest of the building," he groaned, walking out the room.

*

"Jennifer, its so good to see you again," he said as he walked over to her, wrapping her arms around her.

"Its good to see you too, Mr. Collins," she said.

"Only people who work for me call me Mr. Collins. You can call me Alan," he insisted.

"If you say so… Alan,"

"So how are things?"

"Everything is just fine. I'm getting married in a few weeks," she said, pointing to the ring on her finger.

Mr. Collins glanced up at Wes, who was standing behind Jen, curious to know how his son felt about Jen marrying another man.

"Well congratulations,"

"By the way, you're all invited. Alex has arranged to have friends and family transported to the wedding. It was his wedding gift to us," she said.

"Great. I'll bring a toaster," Wes joked.

"So how far along are you now?"

"Only four months," Jen said.

"Is it a boy or a girl?"

"Tommy is convinced it's a girl, but we don't know for sure yet. I want to be surprised,"

"Well, if it's a boy, Alan is a strong name," he suggested. "And if it's a girl, you could name her Cynthia,"

"Cynthia?"

"Its my mother's name," Wes told her.

"That is a pretty name," she paused. "How are things coming with the morphers?" she asked, changing the subject.

"We're still working on them, but it will be another six months to a year before we're ready for human testing," he said.

"That's okay. Its come to my attention that new morphers are being developed in my time. That may not be a problem," 

"Are you sure its still going to happen? I mean, we've changed history a couple of times. It may not happen when you think it will," Wes mentioned.

"Our changing history only prolonged it, but it _will_ happen. We can't be sure of when, but we have a general idea, and when it does, we need to be ready," she said.

"Are cadets really the ideal choice for something like this?"

"Time Force cadets are given intense physical training before they're even accepted to the academy. They have the training. Besides, Time Force doesn't want to risk being such a major responsibility to civilians. We'd rather have someone trained for this type of situation," Jen explained.

"They're cadets. They just got into the academy, are you sure about this?"

"I was fresh out the academy when I came here for the first time, and we did just fine. Things have changed a lot in Time Force over the last few years. Believe me, if I didn't think they were ready for this, they wouldn't have been selected," she assured them. "Besides, they'll have a seasoned veteran with them just in case things get out of hand,"

"Do you know who Time Force has selected for that yet?"

"No, this is a new concept in Time Force. A veteran ranger is assigned to serve as a mentor type figure to the group, but I assume that when the mission is a success, the ranger will be given the memory adaptation procedure. Like I said, its still a new concept," 

"So when will the cadets be ready?"

"I'm not sure. Right now I just wanted to introduce them to the concept of time travel. According to our readings, the attack won't occur until…" she was cut short as Trinity rushed into the room.

"Mr. Collins, Wes, sorry to interrupt," she turned to Jen. "I just got a communication from dad. He says that something followed you guys through the time hole you arrived in," she told her.

"What?"

"He isn't sure what, but his orders were to get the cadets and get back to your own time. Its dangerous here," she said.

"No," she said calmly.

"What?" Trinity asked.

"I brought the cadets here to give them a taste of what it will be like out in the field. I say we let them deal with it themselves," Jen said.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Mr. Collins asked.

"If things get out of hand, we can always get back on the time ship and head home. Besides, with the red ranger, the Quantum ranger and the Silver Guardians here, I can't think of a safer place," she said.

"Okay, we'll try it your way. But it things go bad, you get back on that ship and go home," Wes stressed to her. "Don't make me lock you in the time ship and set the auto pilot again,"

She walked over to him, placing her hand gently on his face. "After all these years you'd think you'd know you don't have to worry about me so much," she sighed.

He touched her face. "After all these years you'd think you know I'll always worry about you," he responded.

She smiled. "Trinity, get the cadets together and meet me at the time ship," Jen said.

"I'm on it," she said, rushing out the room.

"You haven't told her yet, have you?" she asked.

"No. I figured if it's her destiny, she'll figure it out sooner or later," Wes sighed.

*

Amanda and the others walked onto the training grounds where Jen and Wes were waiting for them. "Guys, I just got word from Commander Oliver that something has followed us here, to the past. Whatever it is, we're assuming its hostile. The Silver Guardians aren't equipped to deal with these kinds of threats, and I'm in no condition to fight. I'm leaving it up to you to find out what it is and stop it," she explained.

"Stop it? How?"

"This is part of your test. Coming here was part of it, understanding the intricacies of time travel and the effects it may or may not have was part of it. This is the rest. Find out what came here and stop it by any means necessary," she told them.

"I believe I am ready," KJ said, taking a step forward.

"Count me in," Sasha said, taking her place next to KJ.

"I'm in," Amanda said.

"Me too, but this would go a lot smoother if we had some powers or something," Khalil mentioned.

"I believe that's where I come in," Trinity said as she walked over to the group. "Trinity Oliver, red ranger," she introduced.

Just then, there was an explosion only a few feet away from the time ship. They all turned around as they saw _him_ walking through the smoke and debris. There were spikes that covered his entire body, and he had long, flowing golden hair. There was a sinister glow in his eyes as he walked over to them.

"Your destruction is at hand rangers," he groaned, pointing his staff and shooting an energy beam at him.

Wes quickly grabbed Jen, pulling her back into the building as Trinity and the cadets stood their ground. "You guys ready?"

"As we'll ever be," Khalil sighed, speaking for he group.

_"TIME FOR, TIME FORCE,"_ Trinity yelled. Within seconds, her red ranger uniform replaced her clothes. _"CHRONO SABER, ON LINE,"_

Trinity was the first to charge at Univex with her saber, but he swatted her aside, knocking her up against the time ship. Amanda and Sasha nodded at one another, tacitly agreeing to go in together. They rushed towards him, and as Sasha hit a sabat kick, Amanda gave him a sweep, taking him down. He got back up to one knee, hitting Sasha in the chest with his staff, taking her down. Next, he aimed his staff at Amanda. He fired, but it was Khalil who pulled her out the way. As Univex stumbled forward, it was KJ who made her move, attacking him. Univex swung the staff at her, but she caught it with one hand, snapping the staff in half. As the first half fell to the ground, Amanda picked it up.

"Oh no, the time ship," Sasha noticed as it began to power up.

"It's the auto pilot, the ship is leaving without us," Amanda said.

Univex stared up at the ship. "If that ship leaves, you will be stranded here. With you out the way, the destruction of Time Force will be that much easier," he said, taking off and heading for the ship. He punched a hole in the side of the ship, climbing inside.

"We have to stop him now, before that ship can leave," Khalil said.

"I'm up for suggestions," Trinity said, turning to the group.

"I have one," KJ walked over to her, snatching the Chrono Morpher off her wrist, forcing Trinity to power down. Next, she pulled a small, metal device out of uniform and began working on the Morpher. The Morpher began to hum, and KJ cocked back, throwing the Morpher towards the time ship.

"What are you doing?"

"Preventing him from leaving," she said.

The time ship was slowly disappearing into the vortex… when it exploded. Everyone shielded their eyes from the light, and when it died down, pieces of the ship fell to the ground.

"Great, you guys saved the day, but now how do we get home?" Khalil asked.

**_*_**

****

****

Alex stood outside the ship and watched as it took off, making it's way towards the blue swirling vortex in the sky. It disappeared into the vortex, and moments later, the vortex was gone. No sooner did the vortex close, another one opened, and the time ship came through again. It was enough to make him crack a smile as he walked over to the control panel to open a channel to the ship…

… but the ship exploded.

"What the hell?" he snapped, rushing out to the landing bay. There were pieces of the time ship scattered everywhere, debris left from the hull and a few components that were all but destroyed, but no bodies.

He began to speculate that there was a hull breach of some kind as the ship went through the vortex, which meant… _'They could all be trapped in time,'_ he sighed inwardly.

"Alex," he heard a voice yell.

He turned around as Tommy rushed over to him. "I just got a call from James. He said something followed Jen and the others through the time hole," he said.

"Its too late," he sighed, motioning at what was left of the ship.

"No, Jen and the cadets are fine. I talked to Trinity, and everyone is in one piece," he said.

"But how?"

"We'll find out when we get there," Tommy said, reaching for his Morpher. "Tommy to James, are the temporal coordinates set?" he asked.

_'All systems are go. Awaiting your orders,'_ a voice said.

"Open the portal,"

~~

The time ship was slowly disappearing into the vortex… when it exploded. Everyone shielded their eyes from the light, and when it died down, pieces of the ship fell to the ground.

"Great, you guys saved the day, but now how do we get home?" Khalil asked.

"I believe that's where _we_ come in," Tommy said as he and Alex stepped through the portal, walking over to them.

"Dad!" Trinity squealed eagerly, rushing over to him and wrapping her arms around him.

"Dad?" Sasha mumbled.

Wes and Jen walked over to them. The cadets watched in amazement as Wes and Alex shook hands.

"Good to see you Wes,"

"You too Alex,"

"So what happened here?" Tommy asked.

"Some big metal dude attacked us, but KJ here stopped him," Amanda said.

"How?"

"I used Trinity's Morpher to create an instability in its ionic matrix. It was sufficient to cause an explosion inside the time ship," KJ explained.

"Excellent work cadet,"

"So who was that big guy?" Sasha asked.

"I'll have Emery look into it when we get back," Tommy said.

"So, how _are_ we getting back?" Khalil asked.

Tommy reached for his Morpher. "Alight James, we're ready here," he said.

"Wait, there's something we have to do," Jen said.

"Stand by James,"

'Standing by sir,' 

Jen motioned for the cadets to join her. They all lined up next to Wes, Eric and Lt. Cooper as Jen handed Tommy a camera, then joined the others.

"Of course, the picture," Amanda said.

Tommy waited until everyone was in position. "Everyone say cheese," he said.

"Cheese," everyone said in unison.

After he took the picture, he handed the camera to Wes. "How are ya Wes?" he inquired.

"I'm great,"

"You're coming to the wedding, right?"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Wes told him.

"We really do need to get back," Alex mentioned.

"He's right, but we'll see all of you in time for the wedding," Jen said.

Tommy reached for his Morpher. "James, we're ready," he said.

_'Activating portal… now,'_ a voice said.

Moments later, the portal opened, and Alex escorted the cadets through. Tommy nodded slightly, then stepped through as well. Jen headed over to Wes. "Make sure you bury that picture. If you don't…"

"I will, I promise," Wes assured.

With a cheerful smile, she waved at Wes one final time, then stepped through the portal.

"Wedding?" he looked at Eric and Wes. "No one told me anything about a wedding," he groaned.

**_* Time Force Headquarters   3002  AD *_**

****

****

"So now that we know the Professor is planning something for us, do we tell me that we know?" Sasha asked.

"No, the best of course of action would be to wait. If she wanted us to know, she would have informed us," KJ said.

"Shes right. I say we just wait it out," Amanda mentioned.

"Whatever it is we has planned, we obviously aren't ready for yet. And, from what we can tell, its suppose to happen in the year 2007," Khalil brought up.

"What could be so horrible in 2007? I mean, this is the year 3002. Whatever it was, it was obviously taken care of," she said.

"I have been reading the history logs and I have full knowledge of all events recorded by Time Force. There were no unusual events in the year 2007. The only event of an significance was the mutant attack of 2005, which resulted in the deaths of several Silver Guardians and various Time Force officers," KJ told them.

"There was a mutant attack?"

"Yes. A rogue mutant named Magento took control of the zords and attempted to destroy a World Summit meeting that would have ended aggression between mutants and humans of that time," she said.

"So you think something happened during that incident? Something that isn't recorded in the history logs?" Khalil asked.

"I do not _think_ anything, I was merely pointing a significant incident close to the time period in question,"

"We'll just have to wait for the Professor to tell us what's going on. In the meantime, we'll just stay quiet about it," Sasha sighed.

**_* Chyro Tech *_**

****

****

Dr. Crane walked into the conference room, where Admiral Peterson was waiting for her. From the monotone look on his face, she could tell he was upset.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" she inquired.

"By now I'm sure you've read the reports," he sighed.

"Yes sir, has Univex been destroyed?"

"Univex is an isomorphic being,"

"Isomorphic, sir?" she asked, hoping he would elborate.

"He is an isomorphic being, he cannot be destroyed. He exists in not only our dimensions, but several others. The reports indicated that he was inside the time ship when it exploded, but he was able to escape it,"

"Does this affect our plans in any way?"

"No, everything is still going according to schedule. Are you ready to go to the final phase?" he asked her.

"I understand that you have an… _emotional _attachment to this mission. Will you be able to carry out your mission as planned?"

"Yes sir, I will,"

"Very good. Still, you will undergo memory alternation to be sure. When that is complete, the final phase of our plan will begin. When this is over, your memory will be restored and you will be one the most decorate officers in our organization. You will be the one who finally destroys Time Force," he told her.

~~

**Preview: Reality TV**

Next time on Parallels II: Tommy Oliver returns to active duty, but is sent to a reality where things are a little too real. 

_~~_

**Coming this Christmas: The Wedding, a special holiday chapter!**


	14. Reality TV

**_Disclaimer: _**_Power Rangers Time Force and all related logos are property of Disney and/or Saban Entertainment. I am using them without permission. KJ Sheldon, Lt. James Emery, Trinity Oliver, Camille Summers, Amanda "Mandy" Scott, Mr. & Mrs. Mathew Scott, Leo Claw and the "Omega Project" are property of yours truly._

**_A/N: _**_This fic takes place about a week after the end of Future Shock II._

_Please take a moment to review. I live for reviews!!_

**~~**

"So it's settled then," Jen said eagerly, picking up her juice and taking a swallow. "Her name is Alexis,"

"_We_ didn't settle on anything, I still think Carmen is a good name for a girl," he mentioned.

"Oh come on Tommy, stop conforming to destiny. So what, our daughter came back from the future and her name was Carmen, but that doesn't mean we _have_ to name her Carmen," she said.

"Carmen was my adopted mother's name," he said.

"I had a cousin named Carmen, but that doesn't mean I want to name my child after her," she said. "Besides, we're not even sure it's a girl,"

"Of course it's a girl, what else could it be?"

"You know there is another kind of baby. It's called a _boy,_" she giggled.

Tommy wrinkled up a napkin, throwing it across the table and hitting her. "Very funny Jen," he said.

"We've been arguing about this for weeks now, and now I think we need to come up with a name once and for all,"

"We certainly aren't naming her after your ex-boyfriend," 

"But Alexis is a pretty name,"

"So is Kim,"

"Kim is so… plain,"

"So is _Jen_, but no one is complaining,"

"I'm not suggesting we name her Jen Jr. either. I'll tell you what; if it's a boy, you can name him whatever you want. If it's a girl, I can name her whatever I want," she suggested.

"I'm tellin' you, it's a girl," he insisted.

"I already went in for my appointment with Dr. Young last week. He knows what the baby is, but I asked him not to tell us," 

"He doesn't have to tell us, I _know_ it's a girl,"

"Damn you're stubborn Oliver," she sighed.

"And you're not Scotts?"

"Hey, that's Scotts-Oliver to you," she corrected.

She leaned over the table, moving in to kiss him, but they were interrupted…

_'Katie to Tommy, come in,'_ a voice said.

Tommy reluctantly reached for his Morpher. "What is it Katie?"

_'I know this is your first day back to work, and your duty shift doesn't start for another twenty minutes, but I think you should get down here,'_ she said.

"What is it?"

_'There is an incursion in progress, I thought you'd want to check it out,'_ she told him.

He sighed. "I'm on my way Katie," he said.

"Duty calls," Jen sighed.

"Do you have class today?" he asked her.

"Yeah, but I'll be done by 1930 hours. Maybe if you save the world in time, I can cook dinner for us. Nothing too fancy, just me, you, a lasagna and some candles. And if you're lucky, some dessert," she said.

"Oooh, cake?"

"I was thinking about something else," she mentioned.

"Sounds good," he leaned over, kissing her warmly on the lips, then headed for the door. "I'll be home as soon as I can,"

"I love you Oliver!"

"I love you too Scotts-Oliver," he said, walking out the room.

*

Tommy walked into the science lab, where Katie and Trip were sitting in front of the controls going over coordinates. He made his way towards them, glancing over their shoulders and looking at the information on the screen.

"So what do we have?" he asked.

"As far as we can tell, there is an incursion taking place right now. We've cross checked the temporal coordinates, and its in the early 21st century," Katie said.

Trip turned around. "Have you noticed that the 21st century seems to be a focal point for inter-dimensional activity and temporal incursions? Its as if that century holds some type of cosmic significance, like that century is the junction point for the past, the present, the future and alternate planes of existence," he brought up.

"Or it could be a coincidence," Tommy added.

Trip shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, maybe,"

"I've localized the incursion to somewhere in Los Angeles, California. According to this, the year is 2004," Katie told him.

"Okay, I'll go check it off. If I need back up, I'll call it in," he said.

"Glory hound," Trip coughed under his breath, turning away from Tommy.

"What was that Lieutenant?"

"Nothing Commander Spotlight Hog," he said.

Giggling, Katie punched him.

"What are you trying to say Trip?"

"This is your first day back from your leave and you're ready to jump right in and steal all the glory again. I'll have you know you were saving the world while you were arguing with Jen about baby names," he said.

"What's really going on Trip?"

"He wants to go," Katie said.

"You can come with me if it's _that_ important to you," Tommy said.

"Really?"

"Yeah, you never know when I might need a green haired nerd watching my back," he said.

Katie giggled. "Okay you two, temporal coordinates are set. I'll give you as much information as I can when you get there," she told him.

"Thank you Commander Curly hair," Tommy said.

Katie activated the slipstream, and the blue swirling vortex appeared, both Tommy and Trip stepped inside, disappearing…

  
~~

The two of them stepped through the portal, only to find themselves in the science lab again.

"What happened?" Trip asked, glancing around.

"I'm not sure," he turned to Katie. "Katie, is the slipstream malfunctioning?" he asked her.

Katie, who was sitting at the controls, turning around. "Geez, what's with you guys? They said take five, and I'm taking it," she mumbled as she lit a cigarette, then turned back around.

Trip and Tommy looked at one another, then back at Katie. "Since when do you smoke?" he asked.

She turned around again. "Save the Truth commercials for someone who cares. I like to smoke, deal with it," she stood up. "Damn, you two are as bad as my husband," she said, walking away.

"Husband?" they asked in unison, staring at one another.

"Okay, its safe to save the slipstream worked and this isn't our reality," Trip said.

"But this is suppose to be the 21st century, why are we in the science lab?" he asked.

Trip walked over to the controls, trying to get a sensor reading. "What the hell? These aren't even computers, they're just a bunch of flashing lights," he said.

"What the hell is going on?"

Just then, _he_ walked over to them with a cup of coffee in his hand. "Hey guys. I didn't know this was a dress rehearsal," he said.

It was Alex, but both of them quickly noticed that he was out of uniform, wearing simply a pair of jeans and a blue shirt.

"Alex, what's going on?"

He paused, staring at them for a minute. "Oh, I get it. We're in character. Sorry guys, I haven't read the script for this scene, so I can't rehearse with you, but I'm coming up in scene thirty six,"

"What?"

Just then, his pager went off. "I gotta run guys, that's my agent. I'll catch you later," he said, walking away.

"What the hell is going on?" Trip asked.

"Something is seriously wrong on this world," he said.

At that moment, Lucas walked over to them with a cup in his hand and a cigar behind his ear. "Hey David, Kevin, what's up?" he asked them. "Whoa Kev, you lost a lot of weight. Are you usin' that Subway diet or something?"

Tommy and Trip looked at one another, then back at Lucas.

"Lucas, what the hell is going on?" Tommy asked him.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean Katie smokes, there's something wrong with all the equipment in the lab, Alex has an agent and there are video cameras all over the place. What the hell happened here?" he replied.

"Come on JD, there's always cameras on the set, and Debbie has been smoking ever since her husband left her," he said.

"What?"

"Alright people, lets get into position. I wanna get this shot down right the first time," a man said as he rushed into the lab, sitting down in a chair next to the cameras.

"Oh my God, it's a TV show," Trip said.

"What?"

"Think about it: the cameras, the lab being a fake, everyone acting differently and calling us different names. This is a TV show," he said.

"A show about the Power Rangers?" Tommy asked.

"Hey, I told you never to call it that," the man in the chair said. "This it the _Energy Troopers: Future Force,_ not _Power Rangers,_" he yelled.

"I don't believe this," he sighed.

"Come on, this is hardly the strangest thing we've seen. Besides, its kinda flattering," Trip said.

Just then, _he_ rushed onto the set. He was severely overweight and had on a green wig. "Hey, sorry I'm late guys. Did filming start yet?" he asked, stuffing a hamburger into his mouth.

"Still think it's flattering?"

"Wait a minute. You got this fat, sloppy guy to play _me_? Who's in charge of casting around here?" Trip snapped.

"Listen you two, I have a show to do. So get with the program or get out of here," the director snapped.

The two of them walked off the set, making their way completely out the building. They were both amazed to see they were on a studio lot of some kind, surrounded by various buildings. It was Tommy who reached for his Morpher. "Katie, please tell me what the hell is going on?"

_'From what I can tell, someone from our time opened an illegal time hole and went to the 21st century, then sold the idea of Energy Troopers to a man named Haim Saban. According to this, Energy Troopers is a cult like hit for that world. Its been syndicated several times, and was later brought from Saban by a much bigger company… Walt Disney. Energy Troopers is now in its 12th year of filming and has inspired several other series, and even has fans writing their own versions of the show and posting it on the Internet. Its called fanfiction,'_ she explained.

"You're telling me there's a show molded after us called _Energy Troopers_ and people write stories about us on the Internet?" Tommy asked.

"People in the 21st century don't have anything better to do than write stories about their favorite TV shows? Its amazing how the human race even made it to the year 3000," Trip sighed.

"You're just mad they got a fat guy to play you," he brought up.

'You'd be surprised how many fans there are of this show. There are different sites on the Internet based on Energy Troopers, all them dedicated to talking about their favorite characters on the show and upcoming episode information,'

"The people on this world have no life," Tommy sighed.

"I bet they got some fancy Hollywood actor to play Tommy, didn't they?" Trip asked.

_'Actually, the mainframe says that the man who played Tommy was a guy named Jason David Frank. I managed to find some pictures of the current cast, and I gotta admit, this guy looks a lot like Tommy,'_ she said.

"So why is the guy who plays me fat?"

_'Sorry Trip, there's nothing in the database about it. I've read ahead in the time line. The series itself continues for another fifteen years, and after three semi-successful motion pictures, the franchise dies out. From what I can tell, it has no real significant impact on the future,'_ she said.

"So what are you saying? We should just leave it alone?"

_'I don't see why not. If you really wanted to catch whoever is responsible for it, you'd have to travel back to the year 1993 and try to find out when and where the incursion took place, then bring whoever it is into custody. The problem is, I can't track down exactly where it happened,'_ she told him.

"Our best bet is to just let it go. Besides, I'd like to see one of these shows. It might be interesting," Tommy said.

_'I've taken the liberty of downloading the entire Energy Troopers series into our main frame here. I've got every episode from the Mighty Transforming Energy Troopers to Energy Troopers: Dinosaur Force. When you get back, we'll check it out,'_ Katie said.

"Dinosaur Force?" Trip groaned.

"Mighty Transforming Energy Troopers?" Tommy sighed.

_'Hey, I don't make up the titles. I'm just reading from the history logs. According to this though, they sold billions of dollars worth of Energy Trooper merchandise over the years. There was even a spin off called Big Bad Beetle Bots, but it didn't last long,'_ she said.

"I've heard enough. Just open the vortex, we're coming home," he said.

A few moments later, the blue swirling vortex appeared, and the two of them stepped inside, disappearing…

~~

**Preview: Triad**

Next time on Parallels II: Someone is altering the time line, effecting not only the past, but the present and the future. The rangers must travel back in time and prevent a deadly alliance and their own destruction.

_~~_


	15. Triad

**_Disclaimer: _**_Power Rangers Time Force and all related logos are property of Disney and/or Saban Entertainment. I am using them without permission. KJ Sheldon, Lt. James Emery, Trinity Oliver, Camille Summers, Amanda "Mandy" Scott, Mr. & Mrs. Mathew Scott, Leo Claw and the "Omega Project" are property of yours truly._

**_A/N: _**_This fic contains portions of "White Light pt 1 & 2" and "Force from the Future"._

_Please take a moment to review. I live for reviews!!_

**_~~ Angel Grove, California ~~ 1994 AD ~~_**

****

It had been two days since he put the letter in the mailbox, and he was convinced that she'd gotten it by now. Not that he was expecting a reply at all, but he was curious to know how she felt about it. _'I did just disappear on her. She probably found someone else by now,'_ he thought to himself as he paced back and forth in the cabin.

If she had in fact met someone new, there was no one he could blame but himself. _'Its not like I ever really told her how I felt about it. She thinks we're still just friends,'_ he sighed inwardly. Though there was no denying the fact that there was chemistry between them, either of them had ever made their feelings to the other clear. When he left school a little over a month ago, he promised that he would return soon. She called him several times, but he didn't answer. He wasn't sure what to say to her. Losing the green powers completely left him feeling useless, unable to help the others…

… to help _her_…

That's why he decided that the best thing to do was simply leave for a while. In retrospect, he thought he could have handled things a little differently. _'If I could go back in time and change it, I would,'_ he chuckled inwardly, but knew he had to live with the choice he'd made.

He wondered if there was ever be a place for him again, could he really go back and just be _one of the guys_ as if nothing happened. He quickly dismissed that thought. _'As soon as Zordon calls them, they'll leave, and I won't be able to do anything to help them,'_ he groaned. That was one of the main reasons he left in the first place, but he was determined not to hide in his Uncle's cabin the rest of his life. He had to go back; to be with his friends… to be with _her._

He glanced over at a picture of her on the table next to the couch in the living room. He remembered taking that picture at a carnival almost a year ago. It was one of the fondest memories he had of her. _'Except for Trini's cousin Sylivia getting turned into a cardboard cutout,'_ he recalled. 

This time was going to be different. This time, he was determined to tell her exactly how he felt. He was getting a second chance, and he wasn't going to waste it.

~~

"All is save and secure in Angel Grove Zordon," Alpha V told him, verifying his calculations on the control panel.

"Good, I suggest we use this lull to prepare for the secret mission we must embark apon," Zordon mentioned.

"Right, Zordon,"

"Ready the master control panel. Prepare to transport into the hidden chamber," he instructed.

Alpha hurried over to the controls, inputting a series of commands. Within moments, Zordon disappeared. "Consider it done Zordon. Preparations are complete, and I'm on my way. Ay yi yi yi yi!! This is so exciting. I can't believe the big day is finally here," he walked over to the far end of the Command Center, where a door of light opened. With a certain pep in his step, Alpha V walked through the door.

As soon as the door disappeared, all the control panels and equipment in the Command Center began to shut down. Soon, the entire Command Center was shrouded in darkness.

~~

"I detect a sudden weakness in the Mophin' Grid," Lord Zedd groaned, sitting at his thrown in the main chamber. 

It was Goldar who stepped forward. "Our armies have been getting stronger, my lord. I knew if we…" he was cut short as Lord Zedd stood to his feet, clutching his staff.

"Silence, you fool! It is more than that. The Morphin Grid's balance is maintained by the constant struggle between Zordon and myself," he told him.

"Maybe Zordon finally gave up," he suggested.

"Or is somehow damaged. Either way, now is the perfect chance to retrieve the former green ranger," he said.

"Without Zordon, the Power Rangers will be powerless to stop us,"

"Still, we'll give them a little something to keep them occupied and out of our way," he walked over to the balcony of his thrown room, giving him a perfect view of Earth. "Nimrod, the Scarlet Sentinel!" he aimed his staff towards the planet, and a surge of energy made its way to Earth. He turned to Goldar. "We must celebrate. The green ranger will soon return to the dark side and take his place as heir to my throne!"

**_~~ New Silver Hills, California ~~ 3000 AD ~~_**

He watched patiently from the window ceil as Time Force officers surrounded the building. From that height, they looked like ants scrambling aimlessly on the ground below. He was sure that it was only a matter of time before _he_ showed up, but if he had his way, he would be long gone. 

With a small device sphere-like device in hand, he walked over to the controls, inserting the sphere into a small compartment. "If I can't rule the present, then I'll just rule the past," he said, admiring the invention Frax created for him. 

He was ready to activate the machine, but _he_ walked into the room.

"In the name of Time Force I place you under arrest!"

"You don't know what you're up against," he snarled, staring down the red ranger.

"You don't know what _you're_ up against Ransik," the red ranger told him, rushing towards him.

Ransik kicked a huge container towards him, but the red ranger was able to jump over it, and then connect with several kicks the chest. It was barely enough to make Ransik stumble back He tried for another kick, but Ransik caught his foot and shoved him back, knocking the red ranger up against the wall.

Before the red ranger could get back to his feet, there was a wave of… something. There was a flash of light, and within seconds, the entire room had changed. The warehouse appeared to be a lab of some kind; It was enough to distract the red ranger, allowing Frax to grab him from behind, holding him down. With a sinister smile on his face, Ransik activated the device, and a swirling vortex appeared.

"No!" the red ranger yelled, struggling to break free, but by the time he did, it was too late; Ransik had disappeared into the vortex.

**_~~ New Silver Hills, California ~~ 3002 AD ~~_**

She'd been sitting at the controls for hours, going over calculations and equations. The science lab was silent; most of the personnel were already off duty for the night, and there were a handful of 3rd shift officers doing their rounds. 

Typically, this was the time of the evening where she was in her pajamas, having her last meal before bed. But tonight was different. Tonight, she wasn't going to leave the lab until she got her calculations just right.

"Okay, lets go over this one more time," she paused, staring at the readings on the control panel. "The plasma manifold is responsible for all secondary systems, including life support, environmental controls and matter/energy transfer systems. The matrix sub processor controls…" she paused again, trying to make sense of the readings, but the data on the screen was becoming a blur to her. "Damn it, the matrix sub processor controls…" again, she allowed her sentence to trail off.

"It controls the Slipstream drive and the primary morphing modules," she heard a voice say.

She turned around as she noticed KJ walk into the lab, making her way towards her.

"What are you doing up this late?"

"My power cells are at full capacity, I can function for another 72 hours before they will need to be replenished," she told her.

"Must be nice," she groaned, wiping her eyes in an attempt to stay awake.

KJ sat down next to her, glancing over the readings she'd been working on. "I am curious Commander, why are your reviewing system data and operating procedures? In my observations, Camille and Trip male are best suited to this function," she mentioned.

"Yeah, they are, but if I'm going to be a ranger, I need to know how all this stuff works," she told her.

"You have been a ranger for exactly two years, eleven months, twenty seven days and forty one seconds and have performed within your set parameters. Why would you wish to deviate from your normal parameters?" she asked.

Katie thought back to her dream, recalling her obsolete she felt. It was true, there were a lot of things about being a ranger, about the Slipstream project in general that she knew nothing about. In fact, she'd never bothered to learn the inner workings of the project, or what the source of her ranger powers were. _'I am not obsolete,'_ she assured herself.

She stopped what she was doing, turning to KJ. "Camille and Trip know this lab inside and out. Hell, they designed most of it. They've always been able to come up with something at the last minute, and they always know exactly what to do. Jen has always been good at temporal mechanics, and was always a natural born leader. I can't tell you how many times Jen was able to get out of a sticky situation. Tommy has always been so confident, so driven, and when he was put in command of the Slipstream project, he was able to step in without missing a beat. Everyone here is good at something, but I'm…" she was cut short.

"Ah, I believe I understand. Each of your friends have a special skill or unique quality that assists them in being better rangers, but you do not," 

"Exactly,"

"To the contrary, you _are_ unique. You are half Ethros, half human; your ability to regenerate your cells and develop immunities to foreign viruses gives you a very unique ability," she said.

"Yeah, so? But I'm not a leader, I'm not handy with computers, I'm not…"

"No one expects you to be. You can only function within your established parameters. Ms. Summers does not have the ability to regenerate, and the Xybrian male does not have leadership skills needed to command, but each of them possess something that makes them valuable to Time Force," she told her.

Katie smiled. "You know, you're right KJ. Thanks,"

"Glad to assist. Now, perhaps you can help with me a dilemma," she said.

"Sure, what is it?"

"At your request, I have been reviewing the logs. I recently read the database on ranger history, and I found something disturbing," she said.

"What's wrong?"

"There seems to be a repetitive pattern in the history logs. Throughout history, every incarnation of the ranger teams have a recurring theme: a monster of some kind is released on the city, and the rangers are sent to combat it. After the monster is defeated, which in most instances was by combining weapons of some kind, the monster finds a way to multiply in size by thousands. The rangers then call upon their zords to combat the monster again, and it is defeated. This cycle repeats itself, and dozens of monsters are sent to battle the rangers… but each of them is sent individuality, never in groups.  Finally, the villain is forced to confront the rangers themselves, and is subsequently defeated. After the villain is destroyed, several months go by, and a new team of rangers is assembled. The pattern then repeats itself, and has for every generation there after," she pointed out. "Would it not have been simpler to go after the main villain, eliminating the need to face his henchmen in pointless battles?"

"Yeah, I see your point,"

Just then, an alarm of some kind went off. Katie turned back to the control panels. "The detection system is picking up a temporal incursion," she said.

"Are you able to determine the location of the incursion?"

"Yeah. Its coming from some time in the 20th century," she paused. "The incursion seems to be in the year 1994," she reached for her Morpher. "All rangers report to the science lab, code red," she said.

"I will leave you and the others to your work. Perhaps when you have completed your assignment, you can meet me in my quarters. We could, as Ensign Clark says, _chill out_," KJ said.

"Sounds good," Katie told her.

~~

'All rangers report to the science lab, code red,' a voice said. 

Tommy slid out of bed as quietly as he could, trying not to wake Jen. He hurried into the bathroom, putting on his Time Force uniform. Before he was able to make it out the door, _she_ stopped him.

"Be careful," she said.

He turned around, smiling gently at Jen as she sat up in the bed. "I will sweetie. You go back to sleep, you have your class in the morning," he told her.

"Goodnight," she sighed, laying back down as Tommy hurried out their quarters.

He rushed down the hall, stopping at the elevators at the end of the hallway, where Camille and Trip were waiting for an elevator to arrive.

"Any idea what this is about?" Trip asked.

"No. I just got the call," he said.

"What is Katie doing up at this time of the night?" Camille asked her.

"I'm not sure, but if it's a code red, it must be important," he assured them.

Moments later, the elevator arrived, and as the doors slid open, the three of them were greeted by Nadira. "Hey guys," she said. At that moment, there was a wave of… something. It was enough to make Nadira fall to her knees, and Tommy quickly grabbed her, helping her up.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, what was that?"

"It was a temporal shift. Someone is making changes to the time line," Camille pointed out.

"But who?"

When the elevator reopened, they hurried down the hallway, stopping in front of the door to the science lab. It was Tommy who walked over to the small plate against the wall, pressing his hand against it.

_'Recognized. Oliver, Thomas. Commander,'_ the computer said, opening the doors.

They walked in, where Katie was waiting for them by the controls. "Did you guys see that?" she asked. "There was a shift in the time line,"

"We were in the elevator when it happened. What's going on?" Tommy asked.

Camille hurried over to the controls, going over the readings. "There's a temporal incursion in the year 1994. Someone has opened an illegal time hole and traveled to the past," she said.

"Is it _our_ past? Or is it in some other reality?" Nadira asked.

"Based on these readings, it's happening in _our_ timeline," she said.

"Do you know what's happening?"

"All we _do_ know is that someone or something has caused a change in the time line,"

"Our morphers shielded up from the time line, and we know mutants have an enhanced perception of things, so Nadira is safe, but its safe to assume that the rest of the world has changed," Camille said.

"But how? Why?"

"We'll have to use the slipstream and go back to…" Trip was cut short.

"The last thing we need to do is go back in time and disrupt the time line," he paused. "Nadira, you and Katie will go back with me and find out what's going on. Camille, you and Trip stay here and see if you can find out any information. When you do, let us know," Tommy said.

"I can't,"

"Why not?"

"In that time period, Zordon will have the technology in the command center to intercept our transmissions. If I try to communicate with you, he'll be able to pick up on our transmission. Even worse, NASADA may also have the ability to pick up theta waves and will be able to intercept our communications. In fact, with the Morphin' Grid in place, I'm positive that Zordon will detect the same temporal inconsistencies that we have," she explained.

"That's never been a problem before," he brought up.

"Yes, it has. At that point in time, the Morphin' Grid is able to detect all sorts of temporal displacement. It wasn't until Time Force made first contact with Zordon that our…" she was cut short.

"Hold on. Zordon _knew_ about Time Force?"

"Of course he did. Where do you think he was getting all his technology? Between Time Force's assistance and Andros on KO-35, Zordon always had the state of the art technology," Trip mentioned.

"So you're saying that if we open the vortex in that point in time, not only will Zordon know we're here, but Lord Zedd will too?" Katie inquired.

Camille was about to answer, but Tommy cut her short. "Wait. What is the exact date of the temporal incursion?"

Camille glanced over at the controls. "According to this, it is… October 17th, 1994," she told him.

"This is perfect,"

"What?" Trip asked.

"That's the day Zordon started working on the white ranger powers. It all almost all the energy the Command Center had to create the powers, which means the Morphin Grid's power was extremely low," he said.

"So we should be able to open the vortex there and go undetected," Nadira added.

"That's probably why whoever the jumper is chose that day. They knew they would be able to teleport there and not be picked up by the Grid," he turned to Camille. "Any word on when Adam will be able to come back to work?" he asked.

"No,"

"Fine, contact Lt. Emery and have him on stand by just in case. We might need the extra help," he said.

"You got it Commander,"

"I don't need to remind you that there is another you in the past. You should do your best to avoid your younger self to prevent contaminating the time line," Trip mentioned.

"Understood," he nodded, and then turned to Katie and Nadira. "You two ready?"

"Lets do it,"

Camille activated the Slipstream, and within moments, the blue swirling vortex appeared. Tommy was the first to step through, followed by Nadira. Once Katie had gone through, Camille deactivated the portal, and found herself alone with Trip for the first time in a few days.

Ever since her _incident_ in her lab, neither of them had spoken to one another. To the best of her knowledge, Trip had been staying with Lucas and Nadira, leaving her alone in their quarters. She understood why he was angry with her, and she wanted nothing more than to make things right between them.

"Trip, I just want to say that…" he cut her short.

"Not now Camille, I can't deal with that right now. What we should do is get to work on trying to figure out who opened the portal in the first place and where the temporal wave originated from," Camille said.

"Don't bother, I know who it is," Alex said as he walked into the room.

~~

**Preview: Triad pt 2**

Next time on Parallels II: Alex reveals who is behind the temporal incursion, and sets out to prevent an unlikely team from being formed. Meanwhile, Nadira recalls a legend that may result in the destruction of the Power Rangers.

_~~_


	16. Triad pt II

**_Disclaimer: _**_Power Rangers Time Force and all related logos are property of Disney and/or Saban Entertainment. I am using them without permission. KJ Sheldon, Lt. James Emery, Trinity Oliver, Camille Summers, Amanda "Mandy" Scott, Mr. & Mrs. Mathew Scott, Leo Claw and the "Omega Project" are property of yours truly._

**_A/N: _**_This fic contains portions of "White Light pt 1 & 2" and "Force from the Future"._

_Please take a moment to review. I live for reviews!!_

**_~~ Angel Grove, California ~~ 1994 AD ~~_**

Seeing the name on the envelope was enough to get her excited, but after she read the letter, she could barely contain herself. It had been weeks since she'd seen or heard from Tommy, so when she got his letter in the mail saying he'd be home at the end of the week, she knew it called for a celebration.

With the letter in hand, she raced towards the Youth Center. _'I have to tell the guys the news,'_ she thought to herself. She knew that everyone would be glad to hear Tommy was coming back, but she had a personal interest in it. She was determined that instead of "waiting for the right moment", this time she was going to tell him how she felt. She'd had boyfriends in the past, but nothing compared to what the two of them shared. There was an unspoken bond, a connection that went beyond words, but this time, she was going to tell him everything.

It didn't take her long to make it to the Youth Center. She ran in, making her way towards the bar where Billy and Trini were eating lunch.

"Where are the other guys?" she asked them.

"In the park playing football with Curtis and a few of the others. Why?" Billy replied.

Kim walked over to the first empty seat she came to, sitting down next to Trini. "I have some great news. Tommy sent me a letter and he's coming home at the end of the week," she said.

"Excellent. That's great,"

"That calls for a surprise party," Trini mentioned.

"My thoughts exactly. Lets go get the other guys," Kim said.

Without a second thought, the three of them stood up, making their way out the Youth Center.

**_~~ New Silver Hills, California ~ 3002 AD ~~_**

"Trip, I just want to say that…" he cut her short.

"Not now Camille, I can't deal with that right now. What we should do is get to work on trying to figure out who opened the portal in the first place and where the temporal wave originated from," Camille said.

"Don't bother, I know who it is," Alex said as he walked into the room.

"You what?" they asked in unison, turning to him.

Alex walked over to them, removing his sunglasses and tucking them into his uniform. "I already know who it is," he walked over to the controls, pulling up surveillance footage. "It was during my last mission to capture Ransik. I'd tracked him down to an abandoned warehouse, where he was planning on opening a portal and going back in time. I was able to stop him, but there was a temporal displacement wave, and everything changed. It wasn't a warehouse anymore, it was a lab, and Ransik escaped into the past," he told them.

"That's not the way it happened. You captured him," Camille brought up.

"In the original time line, yes. Something was changed,"

"Which explains the displacement wave we just saw," Trip added.

"So you're saying Ransik through a time hole and changed the past?" she asked.

"Not exactly. In this new time line, I was sent back to the past to capture him again by any means necessary. Captain Logan felt as though it was necessary to equip the rangers of that time to deal with Ransik in the event he tried to take over the city. With that in mind, I made first contact with Zordon of Eltar and equipped him with Quantum morphing pods," he said.

"Quantum morphing pods? Like the ones used to create the Quantum Ranger?"

He nodded. "Zordon was told to use the pod to create the most powerful ranger in history. One ranger was selected to receive the power, and the White Ranger powers were created," he said.

"Tommy," the two of them said in unison.

"Tommy was also given the white tiger zord in an attempt to even up the odds in case Ransik did attack, but it never happened. Ransik was defeated, and the time line was returned to normal," he said.

"So how do you remember it all?" 

"Because at the time, I had the red Chrono Morpher. For the rangers of that time, they had no knowledge that anything had changed, and because the morphing pods emitted low levels of radiation, it was unaffected by the time shift,"

"Which is why after the time line as restored, Tommy was allowed to keep the new Morpher," Trip said.

"Tommy was never meant to receive the white ranger powers, and when he did, the time line changed. Since then, the time line adjusted itself to compensate for it, but Tommy didn't," he said.

"You're saying it's our fault that Tommy's condition got so bad. If not that this incident, Tommy wouldn't have needed to be cryogenically frozen, and he wouldn't be here now," Camille said.

"I prefer to think of the future as something that isn't etched in stone, but something that can be changed if needed. I've seen destiny defeated before, and this case was no different," he explained.

"So you said Ransik was defeated, how? By who?"

"I don't know, and there is no mention of it in the history logs either. Its as if it never happened," he said.

"Maybe Tommy and the others stopped him. Maybe they repaired the time line,"

"Without being seen?"

"Its possible,"

"But I was there for at least a week during that time period, and I don't remember anything out of the ordinary happening," Alex said.

"Where were you?"

"In the Command Center supervising the creation of the white ranger powers,"

"So it's possible that _something_ happened while you were there," Camille said.

"You have to assume that if Ransik did go to that period in time, no more than likely tried to form an alliance with Lord Zedd to assist in destroying the rangers," Trip said.

"But there was no proof of that,"

"So if he didn't go back in time to team up with Zedd, where did he go and what caused the shift in the time line?" she asked.

"I intend to find out," Alex said.

"How?"

"I want you to reopen the vortex and send me to the 20th century," he said.

"Sir, need I remind you of the implications of what you're trying to do? If your younger self is there helping Zordon create the white ranger powers, there's a chance of you running into yourself. The results of which would cause a paradox and unravel the space/time continuum," Trip said.

"I'm aware of the risks, open the portal," he insisted.

"You don't even have a Morpher. If you were to go back, what would you be able to do?" Camille asked him.

Just then, he remembered something. Not so much a memory as it was a flash of… something. He strained to remember what it was, but was drawing a blank. As quickly as the memory came to him, it was gone. All he _did_ remember was that whatever was happening, it wasn't in Angel Grove.

He walked over to the controls, changing the coordinates. "Send me there," he said.

"But sir, that isn't even Angel Grove. These temporal coordinates will send you to…" Trip was cut short.

"You have your orders," Alex said dryly.

"Yes sir," he said, turning to the controls and reactivating the portal. "Be careful,"

"Count on it," he said, stepping through the portal, disappearing…

**_* Angel Grove, California 1994 *_**

_'Warning. Auto pilot failure, crash is imminent,'_ the computer warned him.

Alex struggled to regain control of the time ship, but with two of the engines damaged, he found himself spiraling out of control. He stood up, rushing over to the opposite end of the ship and sitting at another control panel.

"Computer, reroute all available power to engines 1 and 3 and prepare for emergency landing," he said.

_'Unable to comply, there is no more power available power,'_ the computer told him.

"Great, just great," he sighed.

He hurried over to a small panel on the side of the ship, opening it and pulling out a small bag. He tossed the strap over his shoulder, and then struggled over to the escape hatch. He quickly snatched on the handle, opening the door, and the momentum was enough to snatch out of the hatch. As he fell towards the river, the time ship exploded.

~~

"Zordon, the viewing globe is picking up an explosion outside of Angel Grove," Alpha said, standing in front of the controls.

"I too have sensed the explosion Alpha, it is unlike anything I've ever experienced before," Zordon told him.

"What is it?"

"The explosion has an unusual signature to it, as if it had a temporal signature,"

"You're not suggesting that…"

"Yes Alpha, I suspect that someone has traveled from another time to our own," Zordon said.

"But who?"

~~

Alex walked onto the shore, clutching the handle on the bag as he headed up the beach. He looked around, but because the sun had already set, it was difficult to see anything. From what he could tell, it was a beach, and about 100 feet away was a mountain.

He reached inside the bag, pulling out what looked like a pair of binoculars, getting a better look at the mountain. "Yep, there is it," he said, noticing a building on top of the mountain.

With a reluctant sigh, he headed for the mountain. It didn't take him very long to get there, but the climb itself took its toll on him. Once he made it to the top of the mountain, he stood what look he assumed was the entrance.

_'I'll probably have a better chance of getting in if I'm morphed,'_ he thought to himself, dropping the bag and reaching for his Morpher. _"TIME FOR, TIME FORCE,"_ he called out, but nothing happened.

He tried again, but with the same result.

"What the hell?" he took another look at his Morpher. "I must have damaged it when I landed in the water," he sighed.

Before he had a chance to worry about how he was going to get inside, the doors opened. He glanced inside, observing a long hallway. Without a second thought, he headed inside.

~~

"Are you sure that was a good idea Zordon?" Alpha asked as they awaited the arrival of the stranger.

"I sense a great power within him Alpha, I believe he can be trusted," Zordon assured him.

Moments later, _he_ made his way into the Command Center. He couldn't help but look around, taking it all in. Sure, he'd read about the legendary Command Center and knew just about everything there was no know about it's layout, but there was nothing like actually _being_ inside it.

"Zordon," he sighed, staring upward. "My name is Lt. Commander Alexander Collins, I am from what you would consider the future," he introduced.

"We suspected as much when we detected the explosion," he said.

"I have been sent to warn you; Ransik, a powerful mutant, has traveled to this time with the hopes of teaming up with Lord Zedd and conquering the past, thus destroying the future," he said.

"Ai yi yi yi yi yi," Alpha squealed.

"If there is a threat from the future, I have no doubt that the rangers will be able to contend with him," Zordon said.

"You may be right, but the combined power of both Lord Zedd and Ransik will be too much for them. That's why I am here, to give you this," he said, reaching in his bag and pulling out a small device.

"What is it?" Alpha asked.

"It is a Quantum Morphing Pod. With it, you will be able to give one of your rangers unbelievable powers. It should be enough to defeat Ransik," he said.

"I have recently come to the realization that the rangers could use an additional member to their team. Lord Zedd has proven himself to be much more of a threat than Rita Repulsa," he mentioned.

"Another ranger? Did you have someone in mind?"

"I believe I know just the man for the job," Zordon said.

**_* Turtle Cove, California 1994 *_**

****

****

The vortex opened, and Ransik stepped through, only to find himself in a park of some kind. He quickly reached for his weapon and stare at the vortex, waiting to see if the red ranger managed to escape and follow him. Soon, the vortex began to close, and when it was completely gone, Ransik couldn't help but let out a sickening laugh.

He glanced around, watching as the people in the dark scattered in fear, all of them afraid of the very sight of him. With a sinister look on his face, he turned around, disappearing into the woods.

**_* Angel Grove October 17th, 1994 *_**

****

****

Tommy, Katie and Nadira stepped through the portal, finding themselves on a beach. He quickly turned to them. "Everyone okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, we're in one piece," Katie said.

"First thing we should do is try to track down Ransik and make sure he never finds Lord Zedd," he said.

"And how do you propose we get to the moon to find out if Ransik is there?" she asked.

"We won't have to. If we're having a problem finding a way to the moon, I imagine Ransik is too. That means he's still here, on Earth, and more than likely in Angel Grove. A guy who looks like Ransik shouldn't be too hard to find," he pointed out.

"But Angel Grove is a big place. This could be like looking for a needle in a haystack," Katie said.

"I know where he is," Nadira said.

"What? How?"

"I remember when daddy first tried to open a time hole. He was looking for someone, and he said that the key to destroying the rangers once and for all could be found here," she said.

"In Angel Grove?"

"No, in Turtle Cove," she said.

"What's in Turtle Cove?" he asked her.

"Daddy heard a legend about a mythical creature in this time, who possessed the power of the moon and had the ability to destroy the rangers. This creature was suppose to be locked away in a tomb, and the tomb can only be opened once every eight years when the moon is full and the planets are in proper alignment," she said.

"And you didn't think to mention any of this to us _before_ we got here?" Katie asked.

"Gimme a break, I haven't been evil in a long time. I just remembered," she sighed.

"Okay, we should make our way to Turtle Cove and see what we can find," Tommy said.

**_*_**

****

****

He'd been wandering the woods for hours, searching.

He was almost willing to consider the idea that the rumors he'd heard about a great warrior being trapped inside a tomb was merely a legend, a myth. _'Even if that's true, now that I'm here, I'll have an easy time of destroying the rangers and taking over the entire planet,'_ he thought to himself.

Finally, after what seemed like hours of searching, he found a clearing in the woods. There were mirrors set up along a small concrete circle, and in the middle of the circle was a concrete coffin. With a smile on his face, he walked over to the coffin, nodding with devious approval. "So the legends _are_ true," he laughed. "Now nothing will stand in my way of total domination of the universe," he began to align the mirrors into position, each of them reflecting moonlight from one mirror to the other. Once all of them were in place, the moonlight connected with a crescent shaped symbol on the coffin itself. "Arise and have your revenge, Zen'Aku," Ransik screamed.

~~

**Preview: Triad pt 3**

Next time on Parallels II: The rangers race to Turtle Cove in an attempt to stop Ransik from resurrecting Zen'Aku from his tomb, and get help from an unlikely ally.

_~~_


	17. Triad pt III

**_Disclaimer: _**_Power Rangers Time Force and all related logos are property of Disney and/or Saban Entertainment. I am using them without permission. KJ Sheldon, Lt. James Emery, Trinity Oliver, Camille Summers, Amanda "Mandy" Scott, Mr. & Mrs. Mathew Scott, Leo Claw and the "Omega Project" are property of yours truly._

**_A/N: _**_This fic contains portions of "White Light pt 1 & 2" and "Force from the Future"._

_Please take a moment to review. I live for reviews!!_

**_~~ Angel Grove, California ~~ 1994 AD ~~_**

History was a tricky thing.

The legend of Zordon of Eltar was required reading at Time Force academy, and the mission logs of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers were well documented in the 31st century, but none of that prepared him for _living_ history. He'd read the logs about the creation of the white ranger countless times, and after being promoted to Lt. Commander, he was granted access to more of the details surrounding the event. The logs gave details of every event, every incident leading up to that moment, but now, he found himself in the middle of it. 

He found himself wondering if he was _meant_ to be there, at that exact time, at that exact moment. _'Maybe I was always here, but I was left out of the history logs to preserve the time line,'_ he thought to himself. Either way, he was honored to be there as one of the turning points in human history was taking place.

Alpha scurried back and forth from control panel to control panel, going over the final details. The white ranger was lying on a table in the middle of the room, and Zordon was encased in a glass tube only a few feet away.

Alex did his best to stay out of the way, but couldn't help but watch as history unfolded right before his eyes.

"Should I set up the inter-morphing sequencer before I regulate the energy converters, Zordon?" Alpha asked.

"Yes Alpha. Meanwhile, I'll test the phase capacitors program," he answered.

Alpha walked over to the opposite side of the room, inputting a series of commands. "There? Sequencer is online and working properly. I'll start on the converter now," he said.

At that moment, Alex caught something out the corner of his eye. He glanced upward at a small grate on the ceiling, where he could have swore he saw someone peeking inside. It was then that he recalled the incident. _'That's right, the blue ranger discovers the creation of the white ranger and tells the others,'_ he remembered.

Making sure he wasn't seen, he took a step back.

"Be careful Alpha. A small mistake in the energy flow could spell disaster," Zordon mentioned.

"Right, Zordon,"

"Alpha, recheck the Quantum morphing pods and power array. We can't leave anything to chance," he warned.

"Right, Zordon. Quantum pods are on line. We're nearly finished," he said.

"It is time to start powering up the morph-control circuits. Go slowly Alpha. We can't afford to overload,"

Once Alex realized the blue ranger was gone, he walked over to the white ranger, admiring the design of the uniform. The armor alone was more powerful than anything he'd ever seen before, and found himself a bit envious that Time Force didn't incorporate Quantum morphing pods into the design of the Chrono Morphers. 

"This is excellent work Zordon, you've done well," Alex told him.

"If this Ransik is as powerful as you say, the power this new ranger will possess should be sufficient to defeat him," 

"Lets hope so," he sighed.

"Alpha, are you ready to proceed to the final level?" Zordon asked.

"Yes Zordon. Ready when you are,"

"Establish a link from the Morphin' Grid directly to the Quantum morphing pods, this will ensure that this power can never fall into evil hands," he said.

"Link has been established," Alpha told him.

"Very good," Alex sighed.

Just then, one of the lights began to flash on the main control panel. Alpha hurried over to it. "Zordon, I'm detecting another temporal variance. Its just like the one Alex used to travel here, but much smaller," he said.

Alex stared up at Zordon. "My time ship was destroyed when I crash landed, its possible you're picking up residual traces of the ship's core," he said.

"Perhaps, but we can't leave anything to chance. Alpha, contact the rangers and…" he was cut short.

"No, the rangers will their hands full with the Nimrod monster. Besides, how would be explain a temporal variance to them without contaminating the time line. I'll go check it out," Alex told him.

"As you wish. This will give us the opportunity to restore full power to the Morphin' Grid and introduce the newest member of the power team," he said.

"Good luck Alex, and may the power protect you," Alpha said as he pressed a button on the control panel, teleporting Alex out the hidden chamber.

**_~~ Turtle Cove, California ~~_**

****

****

"Now nothing will stand in my way of total domination of the universe," he began to align the mirrors into position, each of them reflecting moonlight from one mirror to the other. Once all of them were in place, the moonlight connected with a crescent shaped symbol on the coffin itself. "Arise and have your revenge, Zen'Aku," Ransik screamed.

But nothing happened.

"What is it? What's wrong?" he groaned in frustration.

He'd planned this mission for weeks now. He knew the tomb could only be opened with the planets were in proper alignment and the moon was full, and he'd done the research, but the tomb wasn't opening.

"I've done everything the legend requires of me, why isn't it opening?" he screamed.

At that moment, the portal opened, and Alex stepped through. For a moment that was some disorientation, but he quickly passed, and he found himself standing a few feet away from…

"Ransik," he snarled.

"I thought Frak would have destroyed you by now, but no matter. I will just have to destroy you myself," he said, pulling a sword from behind his back and rushing towards him.

Alex managed to avoid being cut, and as Ransik stumbled forward, Alex caught him with a spin kick to the chest, knocking him onto the coffin. Ransik flipped over, dropping his sword. Alex picked it up and cocked back, ready to stab Ransik with it, but Ransik shot a bolt of energy out his hand, knocking Alex backwards. 

He hit a tree, and as he fell to the ground, he held the back of his head in pain. Before he was able to move, Ransik stood over him, putting the sword to his throat. "This is the end ranger," he groaned.

He pulled back, ready to take Alex's head off, but just then, someone kicked him from behind. Alex rolled out the way, and Ransik hit is head on the tree. He quickly regained his footing, then turned around to see _him._

"Another one?" he inquired.

Alex quickly caught a glance of the stranger as well, amazed at what he saw. "Its me," he sighed.

The two Alex' stared at one another for a moment, but quickly put their curiosity to the side as Ransik came after them. He swung the sword, but Alex grabbed his arm, allowing the other Alex to kick Ransik in the face, taking him down to his knees. The two of them made their move, but Ransik released two energy blasts, sending both of the Alex' crashing into the side of the coffin. 

"I don't care how many of you there are, I'll destroy you all," Ransik yelled.

"I wouldn't bet on that," a voice said.

Ransik turned around in just enough time to see the yellow ranger's foot connect with his face. He stumbled back, and both the Alex' grabbed his ankles, forcing him to fall back, hitting his head on the coffin. Before he could move, the red ranger put his Chrono saber to his neck, keeping him in place.

It was the gold ranger who approached him, cuffing Ransik's hands behind his back. "Your time is up Ransik," she said.

_"POWERDOWN," _the red ranger said. His ranger uniform disappeared in a flash of light, being replaced by his Time Force uniform.

Alex got a good look at him. "Tommy Oliver? How is that possible?" he asked.

Alex turned to his younger self. "Now I know why I couldn't remember what happened. I'm sure that when you go back to your own time, Logan will give you the memory adaptation procedure," he said.

"So you're me? From the future?"

"In a manner of speaking," he paused. "You should take Ransik back to your time to ensure that destiny fulfills itself," Alex said.

"But my time ship was destroyed when I got here, there was an explosion,"

"I remember that,"

"I think we can help with that," the gold ranger said, powering down.

"Nadira? My daughter is a damn Time Force ranger?" Ransik howled in disgust.

"I'm glad to see you too daddy," she turned to the younger Alex. "We can teleport the two of you directly to your own time,"

"How is that possible?" he asked.

"Trust me, its best that you don't ask questions Commander," Alex told him.

**_* Time Force headquarters 3002 AD *_**

"So after you helped Zordon create the white ranger powers, you went to Turtle Cove and ran into your other self, and the two of you fought Ransik side by side?" Trip asked as they all sat around the conference table.

Alex nodded. "After that, I was teleported back to my own time and Ransik was taken into custody just as history remembered it,"

"Was it not pointless to recapture Ransik, knowing that only a few short hours later, he was steal an entire Chyro prison and escape to the past again?" KJ brought up.

"Yes, but that's the way it happened. I didn't remember any of it because Logan ordered me to deck 8 for memory adaptation," he said.

"So what was it like? Seeing yourself as a young man?" Jen asked him.

"It was… strange,"

"What I don't understand is why didn't the coffin open for Ransik and release Zen'Aku? According to the history logs, the planets were in proper alignment and the moon was full. He did everything he was suppose to do," Tommy said.

"I have a theory," Camille said as she walked into the room, making her way over to the table. On instinct, she was about to sit next to Trip, but stopped herself. "Opening dimensional rifts has an adverse effect on the space/time continuum. While these effects are minor, they still cause slight misalignments in the universe. With several portals opened so close to one another and in such a short amount of time, it was enough to throw just one of the planets out of its proper alignment," she explained.

"So you're saying Ransik going back to open the coffin forced the misalignment that prevented him from being able to open it?" Jen asked.

"Well… yeah,"

"I'm tellin' ya, time travel gives me a headache," Katie sighed, putting her head down on the table.

~~

**Preview: The best defense**

Next time on Parallels II: KJ attempts to recover the information about her own past. Meanwhile, Alex is plagued by memories of his past. 

_~~_


	18. The best defense

**_Disclaimer: _**_Power Rangers Time Force and all related logos are property of Disney and/or Saban Entertainment. I am using them without permission. KJ Sheldon, Lt. James Emery, Trinity Oliver, Camille Summers, Leo Claw and the "Omega Project" are property of yours truly._

**_A/N: _**_This fic takes place about a week after the end of Future Shock II._

_Please take a moment to review. I live for reviews!!_

_~~~_

_The sun was beginning to set as they walked along the beach hand in hand. The summer's winds blew through her hair, and reflections of the sun light bounced off the water. It was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen before._

_They stopped, turning to one another._

_His entire life, all he'd ever known was pain, was death, was disappointment. But she was the only real thing that brought joy into his life, and he was determined to be with her the rest of his life. His friends were convinced that he was much too young to feel like that, that it was simply a crush. They were sure that sooner or later, he'd snap out of it and he'd move on. But that wasn't the case. It had been nearly two years now, and he was as much in love with her now as he was when they met._

_They would be graduating from the academy soon, and were convinced that they'd be stationed in different departments, making it difficult to see one another. He was a soldier; no more, no less. She was a scientist, one of the brightest Time Force had to offer. It was only a matter of time before their circumstances separated them, but he refused to leave their future to fate._

_"I love you," he told her._

_"I love you too Alex,"_

_"Once we get out the academy, I'm going straight to the Time Force police. Commander Logan says I'm a natural, and he's recommending me for the Chrono Morpher project," he said._

_"I'm so happy for you,"_

_"But I don't want to lose you. If I take this assignment, I might not get to see you again," he said._

_"You're being melodramatic. We'll see one another, just not as much. I'm hoping to be assigned to the special projects division," she said._

_"I know we're young, and I know your parents may not approve, but…" he dropped to one knee, staring upwards with a single tear in his eye._

_"Oh Alex," she cried, realizing what was coming._

_"I can't picture my life without you. I love you, and it is my sincerest wish that you will do me the honor of being my wife," he said, opening a small box._

_She stared down at the diamond, watching as the sunlight reflected off it. "Yes Alex, I will," she cried._

_He stood up, and she wrapped her arms around him. The two of them simply stood up as the sun set, knowing that their love with last forever._

He opened his eyes, only to find himself in his office. _'Damn it,'_ he mumbled inwardly, hitting the desk with frustration. It had been years, and though he tried to push it to the back of his mind, he still remembered that moment like it was yesterday. 

As soon as they graduated from the academy, each of them got the assignments they wanted. She was sent to the special projects division, and he was giving the Chrono Morpher. They planned the wedding to the final details; they knew exactly how everything was going to happen. 

Then it happened…

_"So, this is what you do all day long," Alex said as he walked into the room, getting a good look at the place. It was the first time he'd gone down to the special projects division, and he was impressed with what he saw._

_  
She hurried over to him. "Hey baby, I don't get off for another ten minutes. I'll be ready after I run a level three diagnostic on this power cell and we can get going," she told him._

_He nodded slightly, and she returned to her work._

_'Commander Logan to Alex. Red alert, outer security has been breached,' a voice said._

_Alex reached for his Morpher. "How many intruders?"_

_'Unknown. There's seems to be a dampening field in place. Our sensors can't get a lock on them, but I know there are at least a dozen intruders headed for your position,'_

_"I'll be ready," he said._

_"Oh God, what's going on?" she asked him._

_"Don't worry, I'll handle it," he got in position. "TIME FOR, TIME FORCE," he called out, transforming himself into the red ranger._

_Moments later, someone kicked in the door and a group of men stormed in. Alex was able to fight out two of them, but another group of men broke through the ceiling, aiming disrupter weapons at her head._

_"Stand down ranger, or your girlfriend gets it," the man said._

_Reluctantly, Alex powered down, allowing the other men to grab him, putting his arms behind his back. "You know you'll never get away with this. I'll find you, where ever you go," Alex told him._

_"Sir, we have the information we were looking for," one of them men said, walking over to them with a disc in hand._

_"Excellent," he turned to Alex. "Say goodbye to your bitch," he snapped as he activated a transporter beam, disappearing._

_"NO," Alex screamed, falling to his knees as the soldiers escaped._

They tried to trace the transporter signature, but with no luck. Alex even mounted a rescue effort, but came up empty handed. Even after Time Force declared her missing in action and gave up their efforts to find her, Alex continued on. Finally, after six months of searching, she was declared legally dead. After that, Alex closed himself off from the rest of the world. He went to work, did his job and went home. No more, no less. He vowed never to get close to anyone else. _'When I do, people tend to get hurt. Or worse,'_ he thought to himself. It was a philosophy he'd followed for years…

… until he met Jen.

****

Once Jen came into his life, everything changed. He abandoned his philosophy about not getting close to anyone, and again, things turned out badly. He vowed that he would never fall in love again, that the emotional attachment was simply a distraction in the work place. _'Maybe when all of this is over, maybe when the universe is safe I'll find time for a girlfriend,'_ he thought, but knew that the day where the entire universe was safe would never come. 

It was at that moment that he made his decision; he knew what had to be done. He leaned forward, turning on his computer. "Alex to rangers, meet me in the observation lounge in ten minutes," he said as he stood up, slipping on his deeply tinted sunglasses, then walked out the office.

~~

He walked into the observation lounge where each of them rangers were lined up, standing at attention. Each of them had done their part a million times over to save the world, to ensure the safety of the people, to preserve the time line, and he knew he could trust any one of them with his life.

"At ease," he said, allowing them all to relax. "Rangers, we have been passive for too long. Until this moment, we'd always waited for our enemies to make the first move, and then we make our move and save the day. No more. As of right now, we're on the offensive. We're making the first move. We're going to end this business with Univex and Chyro Tech once and for all," he told them.

"What did you have in mind sir?" Tommy asked, speaking for the group.

"KJ was constructed at Chryo-Tech, so certainly she should have some knowledge of the layout of the building. I'll use that information to storm the building, and plant these," he said, holding up a small device.

"A isotropic bomb? That has enough explosives to…" he cut Katie short.

"To destroy everything in the building, I know. That's the plan," he said.

"With all due respect sir, I know we have issues with Chyro Tech, but is destroying their entire base of operation and killing everyone inside really your answer for it?" Lucas asked him.

"I'm not heartless Lucas, I don't plan on killing anyone. An isotropic bomb will have no effect on anything biological, but will destroy every machine, every device and every piece of technology in the building. That will be enough to leave their organization crippled," he explained.

"What about our morphers? If we're in there when that bomb goes off, they'll be destroyed as well," Trip brought up.

"That won't be a problem. None of you are going,"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm going alone," Alex said.

"What?"

"If this bomb goes off and any of you are near it, the morphers will be destroyed. Besides, with the levels of radiation the bomb emits, teleportation will be impossible. I'm going alone," he repeated.

"I can't allow you to do that, sir," Tommy said.

"You can't stop me, _Commander,_"

"Actually, I can. You're a member of the counsel; you have no business out in the field. If you decide that this is what you want to do, I'll have Dr. Young deem you mentally unstable and have you confined to the infirmary for physiological evaluation. It'll be six months before you're deemed fit to come back to work," he told him.

"You wouldn't,"

"I would if I had to," he said firmly.

"So what do _you_ propose Commander?" he asked.

"We'll all go. We'll break up into small groups, storm the building in sections. We get in, do as much damage as we can, then get out of there," Lt. Emery said.

"They might set up a dampening field," Katie mentioned.

"If they do, it'll work to our advantage. With a dampening field in place, they won't be able to figure out which one of us has the bomb. By the time they do figure it out, it'll be too late," Trip added.

"Very good. Katie, I want you to talk to KJ, see what she knows about the interior of Chyro Tech. We'll use that to get in. Once we do, Katie, I want you and Emery to get into one of their labs and try to download as much of the information as you can. You never know, they might have some useful information for us. Nadira, I need you and Lucas to do as much damage as you can when we get in there, that should keep them distracted. Alex and I will plant the bomb and get out of there," Tommy explained.

"So does that mean you won't have a job for me?" they heard a voice say.

They turned around and saw Adam as he walked into the room. "Oh my God, Adam?! Dr. Young released you?" Katie asked.

He nodded. "Clean bill of health, and I'm itching to get back to action," he told them.

"Good, you can come with Alex and I. We'll need the back up," Tommy said.

"Sounds like you've got this all planned out," Alex said, folding his arms.

"Of course, with your permission, sir," 

"Oh no, it's a good plan. Katie, find out what we need to know and we'll meet back here in one hour," he said. "Dismissed," he said.

One by one, each of them walked out the room.

~~

"Hey Adam, wait up," Katie called out.

Adam stopped, allowing Katie to catch up. Once she had, they headed for the elevator together. "Hello Katie," he sighed.

"I'm glad you're okay. I was worried about you," she said.

"I'm fine, really,"

The two of them stepped on the elevator, and the doors closed behind them. "Listen, I've been trying to find a way to tell you that…" he quickly cut her short.

"Katie, this is my first mission in a while, and I need to stay focused on it. When this is all over, we'll sit down and talk all this out. Okay?"

She sighed. "Okay,"

The door opened, and he stepped out. "For the record Katie, I missed you," he said, just as the doors closed again.

"I missed you too," she sighed.

**_*_**

****

****

Originally, she simply requested a place where she could regenerate once every 72 hours, but Alex insisted she had quarters of her own. The room was just that, a room. There were no pictures on the walls, no furniture, simply a regeneration chamber up against the wall in the corner of the room. There was a desk on the opposite side of the room with a computer, but that was it. The walls were a pale gray metallic color, and the floor had been stripped of its rug, revealing a cold, metal floor.

"KJ, you in here?" Katie asked, walking into the room and looking around.

Just then, the door to the regeneration chamber opened, and _she_ stepped out. "Katie. Have I miscalculated and missed a scheduled appointment?" she asked.

"No, not at all,"

"I do not remember you ever visiting me in my quarters. Did you come to _kick back and take a chill pill_ with me?" she asked.

"You _really_ need to stop picking up slang from Ensign Clark," she giggled. "This is a nice place you've got here. A little on the plain side, but nice," she said.

"Thank you. Counsel Member Collins insisted that I be given quarters, but I am unsure why. As of late, he seems to be displeased with me," she mentioned.

"Naw, Alex is just like that. You get use to it,"

"He told me I reminded him of someone he knew, yet I am unsure of who that might be,"

"I have no idea," she paused. "Listen KJ, I need your help," she said, changing the subject.

"Anything I can do to be of service,"

"We're storming Chyro Tech and we need any information you may have on the lay out of the building, security protocols, schematics, anything that may be helpful," she said.

"I am afraid that most of my knowledge from Chyro Tech was contained on the memory engrams that were removed from my sub processor. I have been working on a program to recover the information in my spare time, and I believe I may have may come up with a way to retrieve the lost data," she told her.

"You've been working on it already? Why?"

"I wish to retrieve the memories on those engrams so I will know what is it like when we were friends," she said.

"_Were_ friends? KJ, we _are_ friends," Katie assured her.

"You have told me many times that I resisted my own programming to do what I believed was right, to save my friends. I have no knowledge of these events, and I am curious to know how such a thing could happen," she walked closer to her. "Right now, you are my superior officer, nothing more," she said.

"Is that the way you really feel?"

"You misunderstand. I am incapable of _feeling_ anything. I am merely basing this on your actions. You act a certain way with your friends, and in another manner with me. I am not offended by this, I am simply a machine," she said.

"You are more than a machine KJ, you're a Time Force cadet. You're my friend, just as much as anyone else here," she told her.

"Thank you Commander, I am most grateful for your kind words. I will report to the infirmary and continue my work on the memory engrams. When they are complete, I will contact you," she said, making her way towards the door.

"Thanks KJ, for everything," Katie sighed.

"Is that not what friends are for?"

Katie smiled. 

*

Tommy walked into his quarters, where Jen and Amanda were sitting in the livingroom. Amanda quickly rose to her feet, saluting.

"Commander," she said firmly, standing at attention.

"At ease Mandy," she sat back down. "Jen, can I talk to you a second?" he asked her.

"Of course," she turned to Amanda. "I'll be back in a sec," she stood up, following Tommy to the far end of the room. "What's up?"

"Alex and I are leading a mission into Chyro-Tech to put an end to Univex once and for all," he told her.

"When?"

"In about ten minutes. If this works, we'll never have to worry about Chyro Tech again," he said.

"And if it doesn't, you'll be killed,"

"No one is getting killed Jen,"

"You can't promise me that,"

He shook his head. "No, I can't, but this is something I have to do. We all knew the risks when we joined Time Force and accepted these morphers. I have a job to do, and I _will_ come back to you," he said.

"You promise?"

"Yes, I do,"

"You better," she leaned up, kissing him warmly on the lips. "I love you Oliver,"

"I love you too Scotts-Oliver. Take care of my baby until I get back," he said.

"You know I will,"

Tommy nodded at Amanda, then headed out the room. Jen walked back over to the couch, sitting down across from her sister.

"What was that all about?" Amanda asked her.

"He's going on a mission, he just wanted to tell me goodbye," she said.

"Is he going to be gone long?"

"Mandy, its best that you don't ask so many questions. You're still a cadet, and there are still things you aren't suppose to know," Jen reminded her.

"But I'm your sister, and if someone is wrong, you should tell me,"

"I can't, not when it comes to Time Force. Our personal lives and professional lives have to be kept separate," she said.

"But they aren't separate. My brother-in-law is going off on some mission, and from the look on your face it's a dangerous mission. You can level with me Jenny," she insisted.

Jen sighed. She knew that sooner or later, she was going to have to send her sister on a mission, and shielding her from the dangers of those missions would only hinder her chances of surviving. _'She's proven herself, maybe I can tell her,'_ she thought.

"Mandy, I need you to find Khalil and Sasha. I've got a feeling something is about to happen, and I'm going to need your help," Jen told her.

"You're giving us a mission?"

"Just carry out your orders. Once you've found everyone, bring them here and go over the plan with you," she said.

Amanda stood up, saluting. "Yes ma'am," she said eagerly, rushing out the room.

"And so it begins," Jen sighed. 

**_*_**

"You wanted to see me sir?" Lucas asked as he walked into his office.

Alex was sitting at his desk, as usual. "Yes Lucas, come in for a second," Lucas closed the door behind himself, sitting down in front of the desk. "First of all, I want to say thank you for accepting my offer. Right now, the rangers are going to need all the help they can get, especially if we're going to get out of Chyro Tech in one piece," he said.

"I'm just glad to be back in the game, sir, but wouldn't we be much better off if we had a pink ranger as well?" he asked him.

It had been so long since they had a pink ranger, Alex had almost forgotten about it. "True, but a candidate hasn't been selected yet. I'm confident that the right person will come along though," he said, removing his deeply tinted sunglasses.

As soon as he did, Lucas was able to get a good look at him. It was obvious that Alex was under a lot of stress, but there was something more, something Alex was trying to hide. 

"You okay Alex?" he inquired, tacitly dropping their ranks.

"Yeah man, I'm fine. Its just important to me that this mission goes exactly the way I planned it," he said.

"I understand,"

"Lucas, I have something to tell you. Out of everyone here, you have been in Time Force the longest, and I believe you can be trusted," he stood up. "There are operatives in Time Force, at least two of them, and I believe at least one of them will be going on this mission with us," he said.

"An operative? For Chyro Tech?" he asked.

"Yes. Someone has been sending transmissions to Chyro Tech, but using our own carrier waves. It's a good plan, but easily traceable. I believe whoever the operative is is covering their tracks, but leaving enough clues for us to find them," he said.

"But why?"

"Chyro Tech wants something. I don't know what yet, but I'm not going to give them the chance to get it. By now, one of the operatives has contacted Chyro Tech and informed them that we will be storming the building, so they'll be ready for us. By now, I know the superiors at Chyro Tech are aware of my plan to plant an isotropic bomb, so they'll be expecting it," he said.

"So why are we going through with it if you _know_ they'll be waiting for us?" Lucas asked.

"Because _I_ have a plan for _them_," Alex told him.

~~

**Preview: … a good offence**

Next time on Parallels II: Alex sets his plan into motion, and the Chyro-Tech operative is revealed in a bloody showdown. 

_~~_


	19. A good offense

**_Disclaimer: _**_Power Rangers Time Force and all related logos are property of Disney and/or Saban Entertainment. I am using them without permission. KJ Sheldon, Lt. James Emery, Trinity Oliver, Camille Summers, Leo Claw and the "Omega Project" are property of yours truly._

**_A/N: _**_This fic takes place about a week after the end of Future Shock II._

_Please take a moment to review. I live for reviews!!_

_~~~_

"You sure you want to go through with this Alex?" Camille asked him as he walked into the room, making his way over to her.

Since taking over the lab on deck three, Camille had made noticeable changes. Things were much more efficient, and there was more equipment along the walls. It seemed as though there were fewer scientists on duty, but when he received the progress reports from their department, they showed significant advancements with many of their projects. He was convinced that having Camille lead up the science department was one of the best decisions he ever made.

"This is something I _have_ to do, I don't expect any of you to understand now important this is," he told her.

"I understand how important it is, but that doesn't justify this suicide mission," she pointed out.

"I told them this is something I had to do alone, but they all insisted on coming with me. I figured if I didn't let them come, one of them would hit me in the jaw again," he said with a giggle.

"We can't have that," she walked over to one of the workbenches, picking up a phaser riffle. "I thought I'd help you out a little. It's a suicide mission, but this will help you do a little damage before you eventually die a horrible death," she handed it to him. "It's a standard issue phaser riffle, but I've equipped it with a multi-phased plasma core. It should give you an infinite supply of power," she explained to him.

Alex grabbed the handle, and then watched as the lights along the side of the phaser lit up. "You're brilliant, you know that?"

"So I've been told," she picked up another device, handing it to him. "This is your standard cloaking unit, but because of the high levels of radiation coming from your isotropic bomb, cloaking would be impossible. This one has been modulated to work on the same frequency wavelengths as the radiation, so it will allow you to cloak, but only for about 60 seconds," she told him.

"Good work Camille," he sighed.

"One more thing. I know that teleportation will be all but impossible as long as that bomb is active, but I managed to rig site to site teleportation unit. Once activated, it will teleport you back to Time Force, but because of the radiation, the teleportation will have a 6 second delay," she said, handing him a small device.

He took a moment to glance at it, amazed that something so small could really do what she told him it could. It was no bigger than quarter, and almost transparent. "If I ask you how this works, will I get a headache when you explain it?"

"Probably,"

"Do you think you can rig me another one of these? I may need more then one," he said.

"I can handle it,"

_'Tommy to Alex. Come in,'_ a voice said.

Alex pulled a communicator out his back pocket. "Alex here. What is it Tommy?" he asked.

'We're ready down here. Have you heard anything from Trip and KJ yet?' he replied. 

"No. I'll contact them, then meet you in the observation lounge. Have Lt. Emery get down to hanger five and prep the M.A.V. II," he said.

'You got it. Tommy out,' 

*

Trip simply stood to the side, amazed at how fast KJ was able to input calculations into the computer. Her fingers were a blur, and screens of information flashed across the screen as she worked, most of it so fast that he wasn't able to understand any of it.

"Amazing," he sighed to himself.

"There is nothing amazing about it. I am simply attempting to retrieve the data on these memory engrams using a program that you and Camille once designed," she brought up.

"I didn't mean to interrupt you, I'll be quiet," he said.

"I am capable of multitasking, performing over several hundred functions at once. My speech protocols take only a miniscule amount of memory to perform, thus, I am able to talk to you and continue to work without interruption," she told him.

"I see," he paused. "How much damage was done to the engrams?" he asked her.

"There is only 31% damage, but most of it is concentrated in the areas we need to access. Most of the memory will be irretrievable, but I am sure the schematics for Chyro Tech will be retrieved," she said.

"I'm sorry,"

"I do not understand,"

"I know you were looking forward to getting back some of your memories," he said.

"As Commander Taylor has pointed out, I do not need those memories to know that I have made friends here," KJ said.

"We all consider you a friend KJ,"

"And I like to consider all of you friends as well," she paused for a moment. "The data retrieval program has been successful, over 90 percent of the data has been recovered," she said.

"The schematics?"

"Yes, there are detailed files on the on the layout and the interior of Chyro Tech, but there is something wrong," she said.

"What?"

"I would have to run several diagnostics on the emgrams to be sure, but it would appear as though information has been added to these engrams _after_ they were removed,"

"How is that possible?"

"It should not be possible, there is no record of such a thing ever being done. It would take an incredible amount of knowledge about my primary and secondary sub systems to achieve such a goal," she said.

"Is there anyone here who would have the know how to pull it off?"

"There are only a few: Ms. Summers, Dr. Hamilton and myself," KJ said.

"Who had access to them to alter the files?"

_'Alex to Trip. Come in,'_ a voice said.

Trip reached for his Morpher. "Trip here. Go ahead Alex,"

_'Have you and KJ been able to get any information from the memory engrams?'_ he asked.

"Yes sir, we have, but…" he was cut short.

_'Get it down to the observation lounge, we'll meet you there. Alex out,'_ he said.

"We'll have to save the diagnostics until we get back," he said.

"I believe it would be prudent to do the diagnostic now to ensure that…" she was cut short.

"I know, but you know how Alex can be. If he says he wants it now, he really means yesterday," Trip told her.

"I see," she sighed.

"Come on. As long as we have the schematics for Chyro Tech, the rest of it can wait," he said.

KJ powered down the computer, removed the memory engrams and followed Trip out the room. 

*

_'The M.A.V. mark II,'_ Lt. Emery sighed as he walked into the main hanger bay, simply taking a moment to admire it.

The Mobile Assault Vehicle was his own design, but during his academy days, he lacked the know-how and expertise to build one himself. It was shortly after he was given the Silver Chrono Morpher that Alex granted him permission to oversee the construction of the M.A.V. Granted, the scientists in the special projects division deviated from his original plans slightly, thus the name _mark II_, it was, in essence, his creation. It was big enough to hold at least ten officers, and equipped with state of the art sensor equipment. On each side of the vehicle were twin rotating phaser cannons, which could be controlled either by the driver, or by the systems in the back of the vehicle.

He climbed inside, sitting at the driver's seat, which was contoured to fit _him_. "Computer, begin preparation sequence," he said.

_'All systems are operating within expected parameters. Beginning preparation sequence,' _the computer answered. As a personal touch, the computer voice was modeled after his ex-girlfriend in the academy.

It was the first time the M.A.V. mark II would actually be taken out into the field, but he was convinced everything would go smoothly. _'I hope,'_ he sighed. 

*

Each of them sat at the table in the observation lounge as KJ stood at the head of the table, turning on a small monitor. The screen blinked on, and a blueprint appeared on the screen. "This is a blueprint of the interior of Chyro Tech. As you can see, there are security camera along every access point, including the training grounds, loading bays and main entrance. I believe that the power supply for the cameras and security protocols are located here, in this building approximately 100 feet from the building," she said, pointing at a small building. 

"Nadira, you and Lucas are in charge of shutting down the main power," Tommy said.

"I believe that this building will have security precautions of it's own as well. The duty roster for Chyro Tech shows a shift rotation for guards to defend this building," she said.

"Dira and I will get in there and take'em out. No problem," Lucas said.

"Once primary power is off line, there will be a 90 second delay before secondary systems can be established. This will give you an opportunity to get inside the building before they know you are there. Once inside, these areas here; the science lab, genetic experimentation, memory adaptation and weapons divisions, should be your intended target for the isotropic bomb. With three of their major divisions are crippled, it will take them years to recover the research and begin again," she told them.

"That's where Alex, Adam and I will go. We'll get in there, plant the bomb and get out before they even know we were there," Tommy said.

"And finally, their main computer systems are located here, on deck one. Chyro Tech keeps some of their more sensitive files classified and encrypted to ensure no one can access it, but it is all found here," KJ said.

"Trip, I want you and Emery to get in there and establish a connect with their computer, then try to download as much as you can, even the encrypted information. Once you do, erase the original files," Alex said.

"What about me sir?" Katie inquired.

"I want you to stay with the M.A.V. II and wait for Trip and Emery to establish the download. When they're done with that, be ready to get us out of here at a moments notice," he said.

"Understood,"

"Does anyone have any questions?" Alex asked.

"Sir, is it not your intent for me to come along on this mission?" KJ asked.

"No. If that bomb goes off and you're trapped inside, you'll be destroyed. You're much too valuable to Time Force, to us," he said.

"Thank you sir,"

"What about the morphers? They still won't be protected if the bomb goes off, and with that much radiation, I doubt we'll be able to morph anyway," Trip brought up.

"We should leave them here. If we're not going to be able to use them, and if communication won't be possible, why have them there? The morphers will be at risk if we don't leave them behind," Adam pointed out.

Alex nodded. "That's a good point. Everyone leave their morphers behind," he said.

"But sir, I don't think…" he was cut short.

"I understand how you feel about it Tommy, but they'll be no good to us there anyway. The morphers stay behind," he said.

"Yes sir," Tommy reluctantly agreed.

"If there are no more questions, you're all dismissed. We'll meet in hanger five in twenty minutes," Alex said.

All of them nodded, then one by one headed out the room. Lucas waited until everyone was gone before he approached Alex.

"If there is an operative going on this mission with us, it isn't the best idea to leave the morphers behind. You know that," he pointed out.

"Trust me, everything is going according to plan. If this works the way I plan it to, Chyro Tech won't know what hit'em," he said with a smile. 

**_*_**

Jen stood in front of them, impressed at the group of cadets she'd been assigned to teach. Each of them had a unique quality, something that made them invaluable to the group. In fact, she couldn't help but be reminded of when she and the other rangers were put together from the first time. Each of them were new, unsure of themselves, but were proud to be a part of their group.

"I've called all of you here because Time Force hasn't been completely honest with you. Normally, I'd follow my orders and allow things to play out the way they were intended to, but I believe that I'm going to have to call on each of you before your time," she paused. "I want you to know that all of this is completely off the record and cannot be discusses with anyone else," she told them.

"We understand ma'am," Khalil said, speaking for the group.

"The details on what's going to happen are vague, but then again, history logs always are. The three of you, along with KJ, were selected for a mission that will take you to the year 2007. Again, I'm unsure what the threat will be, but I do know that it will be up to you to stop it," she said.

"Its about the mutants, isn't it?" 

"What? What mutants?"

"When we went on our field trip, one of the scientists there told us about the morphers they'd been working on. Then, we did some research and discovered that the only major incident in the history logs was the mutant attack in 2005. We just assumed that…" she was cut short.

"That was a fine bit of detective work, but same your assumptions," she said.

"Yes ma'am,"

"The history logs you're allowed access to aren't complete. Only officers and senior staff are allowed full access to the logs. Believe me when I tell you, something is going to happen in 2007, and you'll be there to stop it," Jen said.

"But what about our training? We've only been cadets a few weeks. Are we ready to be sent on a mission _that_ important?" Amanda asked.

"I don't know, and that's why I'm giving you a mission now,"

"What?"

"I have a feeling something is going to happen, and soon. If things do get out of hand, I'm going to be counting on you to help me out. Are you up to it?" she asked.

"Not even a question," Khalil said.

"Same here," Sasha said.

"I'm game," Amanda told her.

"Good, lets get down to the weapons lockers," Jen said.

**_* Chyro Tech *_**

'Counsel Member Collins are the rangers plan to storm the building in approximately twenty-five minutes. Is everything in place?'

"Everything in going according to our plan. Are you sure Counsel Member Collins will personally be leading this mission?" Admiral Peterson asked.

'Yes sir,' 

"And Model A6?"

'No sir, the android will not be on the mission. However, to the best of my knowledge, it is unaware that the information on the memory engrams was tampered with,'

"You have done well," he said. "What else can you tell me?"

'I believe Counsel Member Collins has a site to site teleportation unit in his possession. He may try to set the bomb and teleport out,'

"We will be prepared for him, and if this works, you will be rewarded for your efforts," he said.

'Thank you sir. There is one more thing: to ensure the morphers will not be damaged, the rangers have been ordered to leave their morphers behind,'

"That's even better. Now they will have no defense against Univex. Excellent work, I'll see you soon for the final phase," the admiral said.

'Yes sir,' 

**_* Time Force *_**

"There it is, that carrier wave again," Katie said as she sat in front of the computer in the science lab.

"Very good, that means the operative has warned Chyro Tech that we're coming. They'll be expecting us," Alex said with a smile.

"I'm sorry, I thought this was suppose to be a _surprise_ attack," she brought up.

"Trust me, it will be. Come on, lets get moving,"

~~

Alex and Katie walked into the main hanger, where Lt. Emery and the others were waiting for them. "Counsel Member Collins, the mobile assault vehicle is prepped and ready as you ordered, sir," he said firmly.

"Thank you James," he turned to the others. "Camille told me today that this was a suicide mission, and she was right. My plan to go in there alone would have gotten me killed, but I have no doubt that if we all work together, we'll be able to get out of there in one piece. Each team as an isotropic bomb in their possession; remember to plant the bomb and get out of there, don't try any unnecessary heroics, just do your jobs. If we do it right, we'll be home in time for dinner and one of our major enemies will be crippled beyond repair. Are you ready?" he asked.

"Lets do it," Tommy said, taking a step forward.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," Nadira said, standing next to Tommy.

"Count me in," Adam said.

"Me too," Katie answered, standing next to Adam.

"Oh yeah, like you could do this without me," Trip said, stepping forward.

"You know me sir, I was born ready," he tried to take a step forward, but tripped. He quickly got up, dusting himself off. "I'm okay," Lt. Emery said. They all giggled.

"Lets get it done," Lucas said, stepping forward.

Alex couldn't help but smile as he put on his deeply tinted sunglasses. "Okay, lets go," he said.

*

"Approaching Chyro Tech. We should arrive in approximately 2 minutes," Lt. Emery said as he drove the vehicle.

"Good. Everyone remember what they're here to do, right?" Alex asked.

"Right," Trip said, speaking for the group.

"Katie, don't deviate from the plan. I need you to stay in the M.A.V. until we signal for you. If you try to storm in and make the save, we'll…" he was cut short.

"I know what I have to do," she assured him.

"Great, lets go to work,"

*

The M.A.V. stopped about 100 yards from Chyro Tech, stopping in what appeared to be a forest to avoid being seen. Each of them piled out the vehicle with a weapon in each hand.

"Alight Lucas, you and Nadira are up first," Alex said.

Lucas and Nadira rushed towards the building with phaser riffles in hand, stopping about 10 feet away from the building. There were four armed guards patrolling the area, each with disrupter weapons. Lucas quickly reached for his riffle, opening a small panel on the side and pulling out the power core, then put it in backwards. Nadira watched in confusion as Lucas simply walked over to them.

"Okay guys, hands up," he said firmly, aiming the riffle at them.

Before he had a chance to move, another guard walked up behind him, shoving the barrel of his disrupter in Lucas' back. "Hold it right there," the guard said.

The first guard snatched Lucas' riffle away from him, admiring it. "This oughtta be fun, killing a Time Force officer with his own gun," he said with a sinister smile as he aimed at Lucas. He about to pull the trigger, but Lucas fell to the ground, and the riffle exploded, taking out the guard. The second guard shot at Lucas, but he rolled over, avoiding it, then tripped him. The final two guards rushed at Lucas, but he used the first guard as a shield as they fired their weapons. Just then, an energy beam connected with one of the guards as Nadira walked over to them with her phaser riffle in hand. The last guard tried to run, but Lucas grabbed him, ramming him head first into the fence surrounding the building.

"That was easy," Nadira said.

"Now we have to find a way through this gate to get to the power supply," he pointed out.

"Let me try something," she walked over to the gate, readjusting the setting on her phaser riffle, then aimed at the gate. She fired, using the phaser beam to cut a hole through the gate. "There ya go," she told him.

Lucas pulled an explosive out his bag, attaching it to the side of the building. "Lets go," he said as the two of them got as far away from the building as they could.

~

In the distance, they were able to hear an explosion. "That's our cue guys, lets get," Alex said as they all rushed towards Chyro Tech.

The alarm sounded, and guards rushed out the building. Tommy hit one of the guards with the phaser riffle, taking him down. Another one grabbed him from behind as a third aimed his weapon at Tommy. He fired, but Tommy turned around, forcing him to shoot the guard on his back. With him down, Tommy gave the guard a sabat kick, knocking him out. Another wave of guards came after them, but Alex and Adam were there to fight them off.

"You two just get to the computer room now!" Tommy snapped.

Without a word, Lt. Emery and Trip raced passed the guards, rushing into the building.

"So much for the element of surprise," Alex sighed as he and Tommy stood back to back as guards surrounded them.

"You ready?"

"Lets take'em," Adam said, hitting a judo kick to one of the guards.

Another one swung at him, but Adam ducked, hitting a sweep. A disrupter beam caught Tommy in the side, knocking him over, but when the guard fired again, Tommy picked up a piece of metal, deflecting the beam and hitting another guard. Alex them kicked the guard in the back, sending him head first into the metal Tommy held up. Alex ducked, and Tommy threw the piece of metal at one of the guards.

"You missed," the guard mocked, but the metal connected with a pipe behind the guard, and there was an explosion, knocking him forward.

Two guards grabbed Adam by the arms, holding him in place, but he did a back flip, twisting the guard's arms in he process, then a double sweep, knocking them into each other. Another guard lunged at him, but a judo style toss sent him crashing into another group of guards.

"I think that's the last of them," Adam said, surrounded by unconscious bodies. "Tommy, you're hurt," he pointed out.

"Its nothing, I'll be fine," he said, holding his side.

"Okay, lets just get in there and do what we came to do," Alex said as the three of them headed into the building.

*

Trip and Lt. Emery made their way towards the building, heading inside. Once they got inside, there was a group of guards by the elevator doors, but the guards ignored them as they stepped onto the elevator. 

"You have any idea where we're going?"

"According to the files KJ gave us, all of their testing is done on deck 17. All we have to do is get up there, find the files we need and get out of there," Lt. Emery said.

"I hope you know what you're doing James," he sighed.

The elevator door opened, and the two of them stepped out into the hallway, taking a right. When they came to the end of the hall, they stopped a door.

"I think this is it," he said. "I'll stand guard, just get in there and get what you need. If someone is coming, I'll give you the signal," he said.

"What's the signal?"

"Probably me screaming for my life," James said.

Trip rolled his eyes, cautiously walking into the room. He headed over to the computer, sitting down and trying to access the files. He rolled his sleeve up; revealing the access codes KJ had given him earlier, inputting them into the computer.

_'Code accepted. Welcome,'_ the computer said.

For the next few minutes, Trip went through the files, trying to find something useful. Finally, he found her way into the classified information. Once he found the files he was looking for, then inserted a disc.

_'Beginning download,'_ the computer told her.

~~

James stood outside in the hall, standing guard. Every now and then, he glanced over his shoulder, checking on Trip's progress. His thoughts were broken as he felt the barrel of a disrupter pressed into his back. "Don't move," he heard a voice say.

James raised his arms in the air. "Okay, you got me. I'll go quietly," he told him.

He jumped up, grabbing a pipe along the ceiling, then kicked back, knocking the disrupter out the guard's hand. Before the guard could regroup, James kicked him in the face, taking him down to the floor. As the guard tried to get back to his feet, James picked up the disrupter, aiming it at him.

"How many guards on this floor?" he asked.

"I'm not telling…" he was cut short as James hit him in the face with the handle of the disrupter.

"How many guards on this floor?" he repeated.

"Only six," he groaned, holding his face.

"Thank you," James said, hitting him one final time, knocking him out cold.

~~

_'Download complete,'_ the computer told him.

Trip pulled the disc out the computer, sliding it in his pocket, then pulled the isotropic bomb out his bag, setting it under the computer. He hurried into the hall where James was standing over a guard.

"You get what we came for?" James asked.

He nodded. "Lets get out of here," he said.

"I don't think so," a voice said.

Each of them turned around as _he_ approached them. "And who are you suppose to be? Robo-porcupine?" Trip asked him, noticing the spikes on his shoulders.

He responded with one punch to the stomach, sending Trip to his knees. James went for a sabat kick, but it had no effect. He grabbed James by the throat, lifting him up over his head, then simply dropped him. With both of them unconscious, he grabbed each of them by the leg, dragging them down the hall.

*

Alex, Tommy and Adam walked into a lab of some kind, getting a good look around. It wasn't as advanced as the science lab in Time Force, but there were a few things along the wall that none of them recognized.

"This looks like the place," Adam said.

"Good, we'll just plant the bomb and get out of here," Tommy added.

Alex nodded. "Sounds good," he said, pulling the bomb out his bag. He was about to set it, but _he_ walked into the room.

"Sounds good… in theory," he groaned.

Alex quickly recognized him. "Univex," he sighed. "I should have known you were working with these low life Chyro Tech bastards,"

"Surrender Alexander, and I promise your death will be painless," he told him.

"I don't think so," he said, standing his ground.

"Oh I _do_ think so," Adam said as he picked up his phaser riffle, aiming it at Tommy's head.

"Adam? What are you doing?" he snapped.

"My mission," he said with a sinister smile.

"You? You're the operative from Chyro Tech?" Tommy sighed.

"Don't sound so surprised Tommy old boy, two years on a mutant planet gives you a lot of time to reflect on things," he pointed out.

"I don't buy it, you were never in touch with Chyro Tech," Alex said.

"You idiot, I'm _from_ Chyro Tech. When you left Adam on that planet, our sensors detected him and we opened a stable vortex to his location. I was cloned from his DNA and bred in a lab to serve this purpose, to lure you into Chyro Tech," he told him.

"So you mean _our_ Adam is…" he was cut short.

"Probably still rotting away on that mutant planet, if he isn't already dead," he snarled.

"You son of a…"

"Hey, one more outburst like that and Tommy's brain will be splattered all over the wall," Adam assured him. "Now, give me the bomb,"

"Never,"

"Give it to me, or Tommy is dead,"

"If I give it to you, you'll kill him anyway, so what's the point?" he asked him calmly.

"The point is more of your officers have already been captured, and if you do not do as you are ordered, they will be put to death," Univex snapped.

Alex facial expression remained blank. "Univex, you're a collector, not a killer. The fact that you're here means you want the rangers for your personal collection, so I doubt you'll kill anyone. Besides, like I do give you the bomb, it won't matter. There are two more already in place," he told him.

"You mean these?" he asked, throwing what remained of the bombs at his feet. "You see Alexander, we knew you were coming. Adam was nice enough to inform us of your entire plan, and as your officers were setting bombs, we were removing them," Univex said.

"Oh, and those files you wanted Trip and Emery to get… all fake. We _knew_ what you wanted, so the admiral had a bunch of files created to throw you off track. So download all you want," Adam added.

Alex looked over at Tommy, who still had a phaser riffle pointed at his head, then at Adam, who looked more than eager to pull the trigger. "Fine, you win," he sighed, handing him the bomb.

"I thought you would see things our way," Univex said, crushing the bomb with one hand. "Adam, have the admiral prepare my Cryogenic containment units for the rangers. Now that we have all of them, my collection of Time Force rangers will be complete," 

~~

**Preview: Final hope?**

Next time on Parallels II:  ??? 

_~~_


	20. Final Hope

**_Disclaimer: _**_Power Rangers Time Force and all related logos are property of Disney and/or Saban Entertainment. I am using them without permission. KJ Sheldon, Lt. James Emery, Trinity Oliver, Camille Summers, Leo Claw and the "Omega Project" are property of yours truly._

**_A/N: _**_This fic takes place about a week after the end of Future Shock II._

_Please take a moment to review. I live for reviews!!_

_~~~_

The M.A.V. pulled into the main hanger, where Camille and Jen were waiting. It powered down, the door opened, and Adam stumbled out, falling to the floor. Jen and Camille hurried over to him, helping him up.

"Oh my God, what happened?" Jen asked him.

"Chyro Tech knew we were coming, it was a set up," he groaned.

"Where are the others?" Camille asked.

"They're all dead," he sighed.

~~

"Run another sensor sweep of Chyro Tech. I refuse to believe they're dead," Jen snapped as she paced back and forth in the science lab.

KJ sat at the controls. "I have run several sensor sweeps of the building, and with the isotropic bombs destroyed, they are functioning at 100% efficiency. The rangers transponder codes are non-existent, and there are no signs of them in the building or any surrounding buildings," she told her.

"Then they were transported out?"

"Negative. There are no traces of transporter signatures," she said.

"Maybe they were sent to another reality,"

"Again, if that were the case, there would be a temporal signature. There is no such signature," she told her.

"Damn it KJ, I refuse to believe they're dead. How can you sit there and act like this doesn't bother you?" she screamed.

"I am an android and incapable of emotion, yet I am… bothered by this. I will continue my work, but I do not think we will find anything," she said.

"You probably won't, that's why I'm going over there," Jen said with a determined look on her face, heading for the door.

~~

"Jen, you're in no condition to go over there. Its too risky," Camille told her as Jen continued to back a bag full of weapons.

"I don't care, I have to save them," she said dryly.

Camille grabbed her. "If all of them were no match for whatever was there, what makes you think you'll have a chance? For God's sake Jen, I miss them too, but running to Chyro Tech with a death wish isn't going to make things better," she said.

"I have to try,"

"What about the baby?" that was enough to catch Jen's attention. "If KJ is right and all of them really are gone, isn't it bad enough your baby will grow up without a father? Do you really want to go over there and risk not only your life, but the babies life? I'm hurt too Jen, and I'm mad, but the last thing Trip or Tommy would want is us running off getting ourselves killed," she explained.

"I have to do something Camille, I _have_ to. I can't do this without him," she cried, falling to her knees.

"I know," she sighed, wrapping her arms around her.

**_* Chyro Tech *_**

He opened his eyes slowly, only to discover he was blind folded. Without his vision, he had to rely on his other senses to figure out where he was. His hands were being restrained, but it wasn't by any conventional means, and there was a slight hum in the room. His back was pressed against a wall, and judging by the sound it made when he kicked it, it was metal. He struggled to get free, but it was no use, but there was also no pain, allowing him to rule out that he was in chains. The restraints seemed to contour to his wrists, leading him to believe that it wasn't any type of rope either.

"You can stop struggling, it won't help," a voice said.

The voice sounded distorted, but he was convinced that was he was still groggy. There were sharp pains in his stomach, back and arms, making it reasonable to assume he'd been hit with several disrupter weapons. _'Most of them at point blank range,'_ he thought, which would also explain why his hearing was slightly impaired.

"Who… who…" even with his hearing impaired, he could hear that his voice was slurred.

"They're electromagnetic force field restraints, you won't be able to break them," the voice told him.

"Why… are…"

"Oh no, I'm not the one who did this to you, if that's what you think. I'm a prisoner here too," the voice told him.

"My friends… where…"

"I overheard the guards talking, your friends have been put in containment. Univex plans to keep them,"

His hearing still wasn't any clearer, but he was able to determine that it was a woman's voice he heard. "Univex…" he sighed. "How long have I…"

"I don't know. I use to count the days, but I lost track over the years. All I can tell you is that you've been here for six rotations," she said.

"Rotations?"

"The guards come in once every day or so hose us down, to keep us clean. Each guard does it on their shift once, and they've come six times since you got here," she said.

_'The average shift rotation is once every eight hours, for three shifts a day. If there have been six shift rotations already, I've been here…'_ he paused. "Two days," he sighed.

"Again, I'm not sure,"

"I have to get out of here," he groaned.

"There is no getting out, they don't even release the restraints during the cleaning. The only time they do come off is during our feedings, and they're very strict. There are armed guards there, watching us," she said.

"When is the next feeding?"

"There will be one more cleaning, then a feeding shortly thereafter. Why?"

"Because I'm getting out of here," Alex sighed.

~~

"Are my containment units ready for transport?" Univex snapped.

Admiral Peterson led him into the containment room, where there were six coffin-like boxes, each of them hooked to a generator. "I'm afraid that they'll be much harder to transport than we anticipated. The units require a lot of power to maintain, and…" he was cut short.

"I have no interest in your excuses Admiral. I have delivered to know what you wanted: the end of Time Force. Your clone will return there and assume control, giving you control over your worst adversary. Now I demand _my_ payment, the rangers themselves," he told him.

"I assure you we are looking for ways to transport them out of here safely. Once the clone has control over the Slipstream device, we will be able to send you and your payment to the world of your choosing. You will be able to rule that world without question," he said.

"I have no interest in ruling, only to collect my bounty and leave this place," he grabbed the admiral by the throat. "Now give me what I came for!" he told him. 

**_* Time Force *_**

****

****

"Still nothing KJ?" Camille asked, walking into the lab.

"I am afraid not. I have also determined that although the isotropic bombs have been destroyed, the radiation levels are still extremely high," she told her.

"Theories?"

"Not at present time. I have been, in-between scanning Chyro-Tech, working on another project," she said.

"_Another_ project? Damn in KJ, our friends could be dead over there and you're worried about _another_ project? This should be your highest priority right now," she snapped.

"I assure you Ms. Summers, it is. I have been running a diagnostic on my memory engrams," she turned around, facing her. "Before Counsel Member Collins and the others embarked on they're mission, Trip and I detected something within the memory engrams. We theorized that someone added data to them _after_ they were removed from my sub processors. I have been attempting to confirm or deny that theory," she explained.

"And what did you come up with?"

"I believe that someone _did_ tamper with the engrams, giving us just enough information to allow the others to walk into a trap," she said.

"Why didn't you tell anyone _before_ they left?"

"I tried, but Trip insisted that it could wait,"

"So what information was added to engrams?" Camille asked.

"The layout for the building appears to be the same as the original blue print and schematic in my backup sub processor, but I believe we were given a map to follow to lead them exactly where they wanted them to go. I also have copies of sub space signals went from Time Force to Chyro Tech within the last twelve hours. I believe there is an operative within Time Force," she said.

"Who is it?"

"Just had to be nosy, didn't you bitch?" they heard a voice say.

Camille turned around, only for Adam to hit her over the head with a metal pole, knocking her out cold. KJ quickly stood up, facing him.

"I am afraid you will find it much more difficult to render me unconscious," she warned him.

"Actually, not really," he said.

At that moment, KJ simply powered down, falling to the floor. Dr. Hamilton stepped from behind her with a devious smile on her face. "I told you all that research would come in handy," he said, sitting down in front of the controls.

"Can you download the information we need for the slipstream?" Adam asked him, kicking Camille aside to get a better look at the monitor.

"I think so, I'll just need to…" he was cut short.

"Computer, initiate security lock out. Authorization Scotts gamma 461," a voice said.

_'Authorization accepted. Security lock out initiated,'_ the computer answered.

The two of them turned around as Jen walked into the lab with a phaser riffle in hand. "Your time is up Adam!" she snapped.

"We've been planning this a long time, do you really think you have what it takes to stop both of us alone?" he asked her, turning his undivided attention to her.

"Who said I was alone?"

Before he had a chance to respond, Amanda and Khalil rushed into the lab, going after Adam. Khalil hit a spin kick, knocking Adam into the controls. He stumbled forward, only for Amanda to give him a sweep, knocking him to the ground. Before he could move, Jen tossed Amanda a pair of handcuffs, and she quickly cuffed his hands behind his back.

During the confusion, Dr. Hamilton tried to make his way to the exit, only to be cut off by Sasha, who had a phaser riffle in hand. "Going somewhere doc?" she asked him.

He sighed, raising his hands as he backed up, tripping over Adam, who was face down on the floor.

"Good job guys," Jen said as Khalil helped her back to her feet.

"You don't think this is over, do you?" Dr. Hamilton asked, pressing a small button on his watch. Before any of them had a chance to respond, he and Adam disappeared into a stream of light. 

Jen rushed back over to the computer. "Computer, deactivate security lockout, authorization Scotts gamma 461," she said.

_'Security lockout deactivated,'_ the computer announced.

"What are you doing?" Amanda asked, walking over to her sister.

"Trying to trace their patterns. If I can determine where they went, I can…" she was cut short.

"You can what? Go storming after them? We all know that isn't going to happen," she said.

"Well I have to do something. They've got my husband, my friends," she sighed.

"Have you been able to pick up on their patterns?" Sasha asked, walking over to them.

"Yes, they were transported to Chyro-Tech," she said.

"Then that's where we're going," Khalil said firmly, speaking for the group.

"What do you mean _we_?"

"You're in no condition to go, so we will. They'll never expect another assault," he brought up.

"No, the three of you are only cadets. I won't endanger any of you by sending you on a suicide mission," Jen told them. "That's the end of it,"

"I think I may have a better idea," Camille said as she slowly got back to her feet. "I'm going," she said.

"I won't let you go in there alone," she said.

"Try and stop me," she said, storming out the lab.

"Sasha, you and Khalil get KJ down to the infirmary and see if Dr. Young knows how to turn her back on. Report back here in one hour," Jen said.

"Yes ma'am," Sasha said as she and Khalil picked KJ up, making their way out the lab.

**_ * Chyro Tech *_**

****

****

In the distance, he could hear the doors opening, and the guards walking by. He'd been blindfolded so long, his other senses seemed to be heightened. He was able to hear the hum of the force field, muffled conversations between the guards, everything. Although he'd lost track of time, he'd had plenty of time to come up with ways to escape.

He paused as he heard a set of footsteps coming his way. Moments later, the force field stopped humming. _'The force field is down. Its time,'_ he thought to himself.

"Filthy humans," he heard a voice groan.

Not only could he hear the sound of running water, he could smell it. There were muffled screams as well. _'They're probably spraying her down first,'_ he thought.

Just then, the sound of the water stopped, and he could hear footsteps coming towards him. _'Alright, its now or never,'_ he sighed inwardly.

As soon as the footsteps stopped, Alex kicked forward, connecting with the guard. He listened as the guard fell to the ground, but quickly got back to his feet. "You'll pay for that human," the guard told him.

Alex listened, waiting for the guard to reach for his weapon. As soon as the guard pulled his disrupted out it's holster and aimed at him, Alex kicked his hand. The disrupter beam hit the restraints, allowing Alex to fall the floor. He quickly removed the blindfold, but his vision was still blurry.

Two more guards rushed in, grabbing Alex by the arms and holding him against the wall. "Reactive the restraints," one of them ordered. 

Alex snatched away, giving one of them a sweep and knocking him off his feet. The second guard aimed his disrupter at him and fired, but Alex pulled the first guard in the way. The disrupter beam hit him at point blank range, and as he fell to the ground, Alex connected with a sabat kick to the other guard, taking him down. The last guard charged at him, but Alex sidestepped him, and the guard went head first into the hall, knocking himself out.

With the guards taken care of, Alex glanced around the room. The young woman he'd been talking to was still restrained on the opposite wall. He hurried over to her, removing her blindfold and getting a good look at her.

"Sierra?" he mumbled in disbelief.

~~

**Preview: Final hope pt. II **

Next time on Parallels II:  ????

_~~_


	21. Final Hope pt II

**_Disclaimer: _**_Power Rangers Time Force and all related logos are property of Disney and/or Saban Entertainment. I am using them without permission. KJ Sheldon, Lt. James Emery, Trinity Oliver, Camille Summers, Leo Claw and the "Omega Project" are property of yours truly._

_Please take a moment to review. I live for reviews!!_

_~~~_

Dr. Hamilton and Adam materialized in the de-briefing room, where Admiral Peterson was in the middle of a meeting.

"We'll continue this meeting later, everyone dismissed," he told the group. One by one, everyone stood up, making their way out the room. Once they were all gone, he closed and locked the doors behind them, then turned to Adam. "What the hell is going on?"

"It was that pregnant bitch Jen, she set us up," he snapped.

"How is that possible? We've been organizing this plan for over a year, going over every detail to the letter. We'd prepared for everything, _everything_, and you two find a way to screw things up!" he complained.

"He's right sir, she had a group of cadets with her, we had no way of knowing that…" Dr. Hamilton was cut short.

"A group of cadets? The two of you were beating by a group of rookies? With the rangers in containment here, there shouldn't have been a problem taking over Time Force," he snapped. "Now I have to explain all this to Univex,"

"With all due respect sir, now that the rangers are out the way, do we really _need_ Univex? We can lead another wave of attacks at Time Force, and they won't be able to handle it, we could…"

"That's your problem Hamilton, you don't think ahead. Time Force will be expecting another attack, and since you were clever enough to tell them to leave their morphers behind, Time Force will simply recruit new rangers. Now that the two of you are discovered and your cover is blown, neither of you can return, but I have already arranged for another operative to be sent to Time Force. I knew the two of you would find a way to screw this up, so I was prepared," he explained.

"But sir, I…" Adam was cut short.

"I don't want to hear it clone. Get out of my sight, now!" the admiral snapped.

~~

The two of them walked out into the hallway, heading towards the infirmary.

"I'm just glad all this non sense is over. I can get back to _my_ job instead of being cooped up in Time Force," the doctor said as they walked, but it appeared as though Adam wasn't paying much attention to him.

"I can't believe he set us up to fail," he mumbled to himself.

"That isn't true,"

"He sent us in there knowing we would fail, only to set up for a third operative to join Time Force. If _we_ couldn't do it, what makes him think a third operative will be able to do it alone?" he groaned.

"What the hell are you babbling about?"

"Did you hear what he called me? He called me clone, like that's all I am," he snapped.

"You _are_ a clone," Dr. Hamilton pointed out.

"I was born a clone, but I have memories. I have thoughts, ideas," he pointed out.

"But most of those thoughts and memories aren't yours, they belong to Adam. You're just a replica, modeled to look like him, to sound like him, but it isn't you. Hell, there are about four clones still in my lab that look exactly like you, waiting to be activated if your part of the mission failed," he explained.

"So I'm replaceable now, is that it? Just another clone on the assembly line? We'll see about that," he said, storming away.

*

_'Alright, its now or never,'_ he sighed inwardly.

As soon as the footsteps stopped, Alex kicked forward, connecting with the guard. He listened as the guard fell to the ground, but quickly got back to his feet. "You'll pay for that human," the guard told him.

Alex listened, waiting for the guard to reach for his weapon. As soon as the guard pulled his disrupted out it's holster and aimed at him, Alex kicked his hand. The disrupter beam hit the restraints, allowing Alex to fall the floor. He quickly removed the blindfold, but his vision was still blurry.

Two more guards rushed in, grabbing Alex by the arms and holding him against the wall. "Reactive the restraints," one of them ordered. 

Alex snatched away, giving one of them a sweep and knocking him off his feet. The second guard aimed his disrupter at him and fired, but Alex pulled the first guard in the way. The disrupter beam hit him at point blank range, and as he fell to the ground, Alex connected with a sabat kick to the other guard, taking him down. The last guard charged at him, but Alex sidestepped him, and the guard went head first into the hall, knocking himself out.

With the guards taken care of, Alex glanced around the room. The young woman he'd been talking to was still restrained on the opposite wall. He hurried over to her, removing her blindfold and getting a good look at her.

"Sierra?" he mumbled in disbelief.

"Xander?" she replied, almost equally confused. "Oh my God," she sighed.

"We'll deal with this later," he leaned down, picking up one of the phaser riffles, aimed and shot the restraints, freeing her. "Right now, we have to get out of here," he told her.

"But how? This floor is probably swarming with armed guards and will kill us on sight," she said.

He stared at her, then over at the guards on the floor. "You're still about a size 5 or 6, right?" Alex asked.

~~

The two of them drug the unconscious, and now naked guards into the far corner of the room, then picked up their phaser riffles. _'Everything is happening so fast, but I don't have to deal with this right now,'_ he told himself.

"All we have to do is walk out of here calmly. As long as we have on these uniforms and we keep our faces away from the cameras, this shouldn't be a problem," he said.

"I trust you," she sighed.

"Okay, lets go,"

The two of them walked out into the hall, then down the hall. Alex tried to remember the schematics KJ had shown him earlier, but this was a wing of the building that wasn't in her schematics. They turned right, heading to the end of the hall and made a left, occasionally passing other guards in the hall, who simply nodded and continued on their way. They came to a room at the end of the hall and opened the door, where he was _them._

"Oh God," he sighed, standing over the containment modules. "Its them, it's the rangers," he sighed.

"You know them?"

"Yes, but there's nothing I can do for them now," he paused. "We'll have to come back,"

"Where are we going?"

They continued to walk. "I'm trying to find an area that has the least amount of radiation so I can use my site to site transportation system," he told her.

"You have a transporter system and you didn't just transport out of the holding cell?"

"I couldn't. There was a force field in place, and there were high levels of radiation," they ducked into a cargo hold of some kind. "This place is less likely to have much radiation, this should be fine," he said, pulling a small device out his pocket.

"Will that have enough power to get us both out of here?" she asked.

"Do you remember my authorization code?" he inquired, ignoring her question.

"Of course, its my birthday, why?"

"This thing is set on a six second delay. When you get there, find Camille Summers, give her my authorization code and tell her I'll contact her when I'm ready to initiate plan b," he told her, tossing the teleportation unit to her.

On instinct, she caught it, but before she could complain about his decision, she disappeared into a stream of light.

**_* Time Force *_**

****

****

"Computer, run one final diagnostic on the morpher. Check for any instabilities in the Quantum morphing pods and the re-initialization sub processors," Camille instructed.

_'Working,'_ the computer answered.

"We're not going to let you go on this mission alone Camille, its too dangerous," Jen said as she and Amanda walked into the lab.

Camille didn't even bother turning around in her chair, she simply kept her eyes on her work. "I'm not going to sit here and wait for something to happen either. Once I run the final test on the morpher, I plan to go over there and see if there are any survivors," she told them.

"That's suicide!" Amanda said.

"I know, but I owe it to Trip to try. I can't believe I let him go over there without telling him how sorry I was, or how I really felt about him," she sighed.

_'Diagnostic complete_,'the computer told her.

"Damn it!" Camille snapped, slamming her fist down on the control panel.

"What is it?" Jen asked.

"The morpher is at 100% operation, but I can't use it. The blue chrono morpher left a radiation signature in my body, and it's reacting to the radiation coming from the new morpher. If I try to use it, it'll kill me," she said.

"Are DNA protocols in place?"

"No, I didn't want to install them until I knew it worked," she said.

Jen turned to her sister. "Are you up for it?" she asked.

"What? You want _me_ to be a ranger?"

"It would only be temporary, and it's only an observation mission. Switch on the cloak, go over there and find out what's going on, then report back. No hero stuff!" she told her.

"I can do it," Amanda said proudly, and with a newfound seriousness in her voice.

Just then, _she_ materialized in front of them. Jen quickly got a glance at the uniform she was wearing, and all of them took a step back. "Chyro Tech," she reached for a phaser riffle, aiming at the intruder. "Stay where you are!" she snapped.

"Wait," she held her hands up. "Xander sent me," she told them.

"Xander? You mean Counsel Member Alexander Collins? Why would he sent you here?" she snapped.

"I'm suppose to find someone named Camille Summers and tell her something," she said, still refusing to move.

Camille stood up, walking over to Jen, putting her hand on the phaser riffle, then turned to the intruder. "What is the authorization code?" she asked.

"Collins gamma 1025," she told her.

"Its okay Jen, she's telling the truth," Jen put the riffle down. "Before Alex left, we went over a backup plan just in case something went wrong. He told me only to accept orders or instructions from someone who knew the authorization code, even if it was him," she said.

"So Alex really did send you?" Jen asked.

"Yes, my name is Sierra Crane. I've been held prisoner in Chyro Tech for…" she paused. "What year is this?"

"Its 3002," she said.

"Oh God, its been over four years," she sighed.

"Why would he trust you to come here and give us instructions? Why not come himself?" Amanda asked.

"I don't know. He told me to find Camille Summers, then threw this at me," she said, holding up a small device.

"I gave this to Alex before he left. It's a site to site teleportation unit," Camille said. "I'm Camille, what else did Alex tell you?"

"He said he's ready to initiate plan b," she told her.

"Are the other rangers alive?" Jen asked.

"When I was being held prisoner, I heard one of the guards talking about the rangers being in containment. That's all I know," she sighed.

"We have to assume that Alex stayed behind to try to find the rangers, but I'm going to begin plan b now," Camille said, walking over to the controls.

"What is plan b?" Jen asked.

"In the event the isotropic bombs were destroyed or damaged, there were all installed with a homing beacon of sorts. Each of them emitted a locator code, but when they're destroyed, the code stops transmitting. All I have to do is determine where each of them were before they stopped transmitting their locator codes, then teleport duplicate bombs in their place," she said.

"But the radiation levels in there are high. Xander seemed concerned about it," she brought up.

_'Xander, pfft,'_ Jen scoffed inwardly.

"I have a delayed system. Its on a six second delay, but I'll be able to cut through the radiation and get the bombs in there," she assured her.

"So are we going to storm Chyro Tech again?" Amanda asked.

"We'll use that only as a last resort. Right now, plan b seems to be our best bet," Jen said.

"Jen, I need you to go down to the M.A.V. II and get the files that Trip and James downloaded to Katie," Camille said.

"If it was a set up, wouldn't Chyro Tech have set up fake files for them?" she asked.

"Yes, and the access codes that KJ gave us were fake ones, designed to allow us to download those fake files. We were able to get our hands on the _actual _codes," she said.

"How?"

"Time Force has an operative in Chyro Tech!" Amanda squealed, quickly putting her hand over her mouth when she realized how loud she was.

"That's impossible, I would have known about it," Jen protested.

"No one knew, only the counsel. When Alex took over the counsel, the information was passed down to him. That information is everything Chyro Tech has on slipstream technology, their primary and secondary systems, everything that makes Chyro Tech tick," she explained.

"So who it is? Who is the operative?"

"I don't know,"

"It would have to be someone that Alex trusted, someone from Time Force that he had extreme confidence in," Jen brought up.

"We can think about who it is later, right now I need you to get down here and bring me the files so I can unload them into our systems," she explained.

"I'm on it," Jen said, rushing out the room.

"Listen Sierra, its not that I don't trust you, but I'd like for you to go see Dr. Young down in the infirmary so we can verify your identity," Camille said.

"Dr. Young still works here? Wow,"

"What do you mean _still_? Were you here before?"

"Yes, I graduated from the academy in 2998. I was assigned to the special projects division," she told her.

"Amanda, take Ms. Crane to Dr. Young and have him perform a DNA test on her, then compare it to her old Time Force files to confirm that she is who she says she is," she said.

"If you'll come with me," Amanda said, motioning for Sierra to follow her.

"I hope you know what you're doing over there Alex," Camille sighed.

~~

**Preview: Final hope pt. III **

Next time on Parallels II:   ???? 

_~~_


	22. Final Hope pt III

**_Disclaimer: _**_Power Rangers Time Force and all related logos are property of Disney and/or Saban Entertainment. I am using them without permission. KJ Sheldon, Lt. James Emery, Trinity Oliver, Camille Summers, Leo Claw and the "Omega Project" are property of yours truly._

_Please take a moment to review. I live for reviews!!_

**_* Time Force *_**__

She'd been lying on the examining table for almost an hour as Dr. Young conducted his experiments. The infirmary was almost exactly the way she'd remembered it, with a few minor changes. Some of the equipment appeared to be more up to date, and there were more examining tables than she remembered.

_'Everything looks exactly the same,'_ she thought to herself.

After being locked away in a holding cell for years, she had no problem with lying on a table while they ran their tests. She was eager to get back into things, to find out how many other changes had been made to Time Force in her absence. Across from her was a young woman on another examining table, but because the doctor was standing in her way, she wasn't able to determine who it was.

Just then, the doors to the infirmary slid open, and Amanda and Khalil walked in.

"What's the word doc?" she asked.

"I've taken a sample of her DNA and compared it to her last DNA test that was taken a little over four years ago. The samples are identical," he told her.

"You mean she really is who she says she is?" she asked.

"Could she be a clone? Or a robot?" Khalil added.

"A clone would have DNA, but it would be slightly different from the original pattern. I assure you, this really is Sierra Crane," he said.

"But how is that possible? According to KJ, she was assembled to look exactly like her creator, but KJ obviously isn't four years old," Amanda mentioned.

"I can only assume that someone at Chyro Tech was able to carry on in her line of work, and probably thought it would be beneficial to leave her appearance the way it is, considering Sierra's history with Counsel Member Collins," he said.

"They have history?"

"Yes. At one point they were…" he paused. "I'm not really at liberty to discuss it with you," he sighed, hoping neither of them would pry.

"What about KJ? Is she going to be okay?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Yes. Dr. Hamilton merely turned her off. Since then, I've disconnected her _off switch_ so something like that can never happen again," he said.

"Is she fit for duty? Something tells me we're going to need her," Khalil said.

"Yes, of course she is. I still have a few tests I want to run. When they're complete, I'll send her to you," Dr. Young said.

"Thanks doc," Amanda sighed, walking out the room.

*

He stood in the lab, simply staring in complete amazement. There were five long, slender glass tubes along the far wall of the lab. One of them was empty, and the fluid inside had been drained, but the other four had bodies inside. The bodies themselves were floating in a clear, think fluid that seemed to hold them in place. After getting a closer look, he realized that the four bodies looked a lot like…

"Its me," he sighed.

_'Dr. Hamilton was telling the truth. There are other clones, I am replaceable,'_ he thought to himself.

It was all so disconcerting for him. He knew from the beginning he was a clone, that he was created for one specific mission, but that months ago. Although the majority of his thoughts and memories belonged to Adam, there were other memories, memories that he acquired on his own. There were memories that had nothing to do with Adam Park at all. They were all his. 

He'd always assumed that once his mission was over, he would be given a promotion, and he'd be able to pursue a career within Chyro Tech. He was convinced he'd been given a new mission, and he could step out of the shadow of Adam Park.

"But I'm just a clone," he sighed to himself.

_'I'm not destined for anything big, I'm never going to be anything more than a clone,'_ he thought. _'When they're done with me, they'll stuff me that in one of those tubes and be done with me,'_

"Bothersome, isn't it clone?" he heard a voice ask. He turned around as Univex walked into the room, standing next to him. "The realization that you are no more than a replica, a carbon copy to be used and discarded. Makes the accomplishments and successes in your life seem irreverent," he told him.

"What do _you_ want?" he snapped, ignoring his statement.

"I am here to help you clone, to give your useless existence a purpose," Adam turned to him. "Your superiors have made it clear to me that they either do not intend to give me my payment as we agreed, or are unable. No matter the cause, they must be made to suffer for their betrayal. Assist me, and there will be a place for you at my side, as an immortal," he told him.

"Immortal?"

"I am an inter-dimensional being, able to exist on several different planes of existence at once. I have no beginning, no end, and I am prepared to offer you the same for your assistance. Think of it clone; you would have purpose in the universe, no one would be able to oppose you. You could live forever; unable to be killed, unable to be stopped, and you could make those who have betrayed you pay for their disloyalty," he explained to him.

Adam turned to him. "What do you want me to do?" he asked with a sinister smile on his face.

~~

A group of guards walked down the hall, and Alex did his best to remain out of sight. Even if a Chyro Tech uniform, he was sure he'd be discovered. He waited until the guards were gone, then quickly rushed around the corner, making his way down the hall.

At the end of the hall was the containment room he'd passed earlier. _'Only one guard?'_ he thought to himself, wondering why such an important room wasn't being guarded any better. His first thought was to simply overpower the guard and go inside, but decided against it. Instead, he chose a more tactful approach.

"Hey," he glanced down at the name on his uniform. "Sullivan, the admiral sent me down here to relieve you," he said, walking towards him.

"But my shift isn't over for another two hours," the guard mentioned.

"I don't make the rules buddy, I just follow'em. Take it up with Peterson if you don't like it, but you know hes in a foul mood today," he said.

"Really? Why?"

"That asshole from Time Force and the woman escaped from containment today. The admiral almost shit himself when I gave him the report. You might wanna stay away from him for a few days," he suggested.

"You're right. I'll be back at 2100 hours for the next watch," Sullivan said, nodding slightly and walking away.

After Sullivan left, Alex quickly headed inside, trying to find a way to release the rangers from containment. _'Damn I wish Camille was here,'_ he thought to himself, trying to make sense of the gibberish on the screen in front of him. It didn't take him long to realize that he wasn't going to make heads or tails of the equipment, and quickly reached for a disrupter. 

He aimed and fired at the main control panel….

~~

"Sir, I'm reading a massive power loss on deck 17," one of the officers said.

Admiral Peterson walked over to the controls, getting a look at the readings himself. "That's the containment room. Take a security team down there and find out what the problem is," he told him.

"Yes sir," he said, rushing out the room.

~~

As the systems all powered down, Alex glanced back at the containment modules, but the loss of power didn't seem to have an effect of them. Finally, he aimed the disrupter at the equipment in the middle of the room.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," a voice said. Alex turned around, only to see a Chyro Tech officer standing there with a disrupter aimed at him. Behind him were two more guards. "That generator is the only thing keeping your friends alive. If that thing goes, your friends are history," he pointed out.

"How did you find me?"

The guard simply pointed upwards, directing his attention to a camera on the ceiling. "Did you really think you'd get away with this? Just come quietly and no one has to get hurt," he told him, walking over to the only active panel in the room, hitting a switch.

Alex noticed that the light just above the camera went off, and he made his move. He aimed and fired his disrupter at the two guards standing near the door, taking each of them down with a shot. Finally, he stood face to face with the third officer.

"You had me scared there for a minute," Alex said, walking over to him.

"Peterson knows you're here, and he knows what you're up to. If you're going to initiate plan b, you need to do it now," he told him.

"I sent Sierra back to Time Force. Camille should be ready to set the plan into motion any minute now,"

"Good. What do you want me to do?" he asked him.

"Nothing yet. Right now, Peterson doesn't suspect you, and until we shut this place down I need you on the inside," he said.

"Understood sir,"

"Where is Univex?" he asked.

"I don't know. At last report he was somewhere in the building,"

"Contact Peterson and let him know I'm on my way to the communications deck. He'll no doubt send Univex there to stop me. When he does, I'll be ready for him," Alex said, rushing out the room.

The guard hit the switch again, reactivating the cameras, then opened a channel. "Admiral, this is CaSteel. Our attempts to apprehend the Time Force officer have failed. Two of my men are down, and I believe he is on his way to the communications deck," he said.

_'Get your men out of there. I'll contact Univex and have him intercept the escaped prisoner. In the meantime, you return here,'_ he said.

"Yes sir," he said with a sinister smile on his face, walking out the room.

**_* Time Force *_**

****

****

_'Camille. This is Jen. I'm in the M.A.V. II and I'm ready to begin the upload,'_ she said.

Camille walked over to the controls, opening a channel. "I'm ready up here too," she said.

'Beginning download… now,' 

"So what is all that?" Amanda asked as she watched information race across the screen.

"Its all the data Chyro Tech has accumulated since its creation. They've kept detailed files of the time line, their ability to travel through time or lack or ability in some cases, and a complete database of all their technology. In essence, everything that Chyro Tech knows, we know," she explained.

"Is that really necessary?"

"What do you mean?"

"Isn't it bad enough we're going to shut them down? Why do we have to steal all their technology as well?" she asked.

Camille turned to her. "You have to understand, all the information and technology Chyro Tech has was acquired by _questionable_ means. They've stolen from alien cultures, enslaved parallel worlds, and used their limited knowledge of time travel to advance forward," she told her.

"Okay, I'm with you on the enslaving aliens thing, but other than that, how is what they do different from what we do? We get technology from aliens, and we use time travel to advance as well," she brought up.

"A lot of people question how ethical Time Force truly is, and I've even questioned it myself, but the good we do far outweighs the bad. Granted, we've tampered with the time line for our own benefit, but in doing so, we've saved humanity several times. It is mankind's nature to destroy itself, and our race wouldn't have survived as long as it has without a little help once in a while. Yes, we _do_ have some alien technology, but those races _gave_ it to us. We've never taken anything by force. Chyro Tech alters time for their own personal benefit with no regard to know it will effect the present or the future," Camille explained.

"But who are we to say that we're the only ones who are allowed to travel through time? How do we know that if we did nothing, that the human race wouldn't find a way to survive on its own?" she asked.

"We don't. Over the years, Time Force has lost sight as to why we were given this technology in the first place. It was our job to prevent organizations like Chyro Tech from altering history, but we've extended that by protecting other worlds as well,"

"What's the point of free will if we're not allowed to screw up and learn from our mistakes? We'll never advance as a species if we've always got someone holding our hands through life," Amanda mentioned.

"You may be right, but weigh that against the worlds we've saved from total destruction, or preventing an apocalypse, or ensuring that the universe isn't overthrown by evil. Yes, the price we pay is too high at times, but allows us to live another day to debate about it," she said.

"That's a good point too,"

_'Download complete,'_ the computer announced.

"Now that we have all the information we need, we can proceed with plan b," she told her.

**_* Chyro Tech *_**

Alex kicked in the door to the communications room, giving the guard a sabat kick, then grabbed the other, throwing him through a window. With them out the way, he headed over to the controls, but _he_ stepped in.

"I believe the phrase is _your time is up,_" he snarled.

"I was wondering when you were going to show up Univex," Alex said calmly, sitting down in at a table in the middle of the room.

"Perhaps I overestimated you. Perhaps you _are_ as stupid as you look. I have your friends in containment, and you have no powers. What makes you think you can stop me?"

Alex kicked his feet up, putting them on the table as he leaned back in the chair. "What makes you think I have to? You should know by now that Peterson doesn't intend to hand the rangers over to you. If he did, he would have done it by now. Any minute now he's going to double cross you, and I only wish I had some popcorn to munch on while I watch it all go down," he said calmly.

"Even if they were true, I would snap Peterson's neck like a twig, then claim my bounty," he said.

"If _that_ were true, you would have done it by now. Face facts, you can't get them out of here on your own, not without killing one of them, and we both know dead rangers are no good for your collection," he said.

Univex paused. "If I do not get to collect my bounty, I will have to settle for snapping your neck," he said, walking towards him.

"You've got much bigger problems on your hands," he sat up straight. "In about four minutes, a group of isotropic bombs are going to go off in several different points of this building. All technology will be wiped out in a single stroke, including those containment units. With the units destroyed, the rangers will wake up on their own, and you'll have nothing," Alex told him.

"You're bluffing. All the isotropic bombs were destroyed," he brought up.

Alex turned his head slightly, directing his attention to the control panel. At that moment, a teleportation beam was activated, and an isotropic bomb appeared. "There are about a dozen of them, at least two on each deck. Believe me when I tell you, they'll be nothing left operational in the entire building when its over," he said.

"If I cannot have the rangers, then they will die by my hand," Univex groaned, disappearing into a stream of light.

Alex stood up, about to make his way to the containment room, but _he cut him off in the hallway. "Where do you think you're going Collins?" he snapped._

"I don't have time for this clone, out of the way," he said, but he stood his ground.

"Univex told me all I have to do to become immortal is to destroy you. Then, I will live forever, and I'll be able to…" he was cut short.

"You're in idiot, you know that?" Alex asked him. "Univex was going to make you do his dirty work, then destroy you himself. You're just a pawn in all this," he told him.

Adam stood dead in his tracks, his arms at his sides. "Univex lied to me," he sighed.

"He's the bad guy, that's what they do," he paused. "I won't make you any promises, but if you help me get my friends out of here, I'll arrange for you to be absolved of all charges against you. Maybe that way you'll have a chance at a normal life," 

"You'd do that?"

"I'm the good guy, its what I do," he said.

"What do you want me to do?"

~~

Univex stood over the containment unit with his staff in hand, ready to destroy the unit, but _he stepped in. "By order of Admiral Peterson, stand down and drop your weapon," he snapped, aiming a disrupter at him._

Univex turned around. "Lt. CaSteel, do you really think that will stop me?"

"It doesn't have to stop you, only distract you for 10 seconds," he told him.

Before Univex realized it, the isotropic bombs went off, sending a shockwave through the entire building. Lt. CaSteel put his hands over his eyes to shield them from the light, but when the light died down, Univex was gone, and the rangers were lying motionless on the ground.

He leaned down, checking on them. _'They still have a pulse, they'll be okay,'_ he thought to himself.

At that moment, a truck smashed through the wall of the building, and _he got out. "Somebody call a taxi?" Alex asked them._

"They're still unconscious, but they're okay. We should get'em in the truck and get out of here before Peterson finds out what we're doing," he said.

"Agreed,"

They grabbed the rangers as quickly as they could, setting them gently in the back of the truck. Just as Alex closed the door, a disrupter beam caught him in the back, sending him to the ground.

"I should have known you were a traitor for the moment I saw you CaSteel. I can't believe you'd help Time Force after what they did to your brother," Admiral Peterson snapped as he walked into the room with a phaser riffle in hand.

Lt. CaSteel took a step forward, but Adam got out the truck, standing in-between them. "Just get Alex and the others out of here, I'll deal with Peterson," he said.

"But…"

"No buts, just go," he said. Lt. CaSteel quickly lifted Alex up, putting him into the truck, and then climbed in himself, pulling away. "Looks like its just me and you now Admiral,"

"Stay out of my way clone, you have no idea what you're getting yourself into," he said, aiming the riffle at him.

"You created me, then used me for your own sick, twisted purpose. You had no intention of allowing me to lead my own life when this was over, you were just going to discard me and be done with it. Your plan failed, and now, your time is up!" he told him, lunging at the admiral with a spin kick. 

He was able to knock the riffle out his hand, and then caught him off caught with a second kick, this time to the side of the head. The admiral fell to his knees, Adam picked up the riffle, aiming at his head.

"Do clone, do it!" the admiral snapped at him. "Kill me and it will finally be over,"

He cocked back, hitting the admiral in the side of the head with the riffle, knocking him out. "You're not worth it," he sighed. 

With the admiral unconscious, Adam dropped the riffle, simply staring down at him.

"You coming?" he heard a voice ask.

He turned around, only to see Alex standing across from him. He nodded. "Yeah, lets get out of here," he sighed.

**_* Time Force *_**

****

****

"Jen, there is a vehicle approaching Time Force headquarters at an extremely high velocity," Camille warned, sitting in front of the controls.

"Can you identify it?"

"Yes, it is a Chyro Tech vehicle," she told her.

"How many life signs?"

"There are ten life forms on board, but seven of them are very faint," she paused. "According to them, one of the life forms is Xybrian," she added. "Its Alex, he saved them," Camille said.

"Inform Dr. Young that he has a medical emergency on his hands and prepare for incoming patients," she said.

"Already on top of it,"

"Can you open a channel to the vehicle?"

"Yes, but its audio only,"

"Do it,"

"Channel open,"

"Alex, is that you?" Jen asked.

_'It's me Jen. I have the rangers, but they're still unconscious. Have Dr. Young standing by to take a look at them,'_ he said.

"Already on it,"

'Good. I take it my message was received according to plan?' 

"Yeah, we got the message. Your friend is in the infirmary now," she said.

'Excellent work. Tell Camille I owe her one,' 

"Actually, you owe me about eight, but who's counting?" Camille asked.

'My ETA is three minutes. I'll see you then,' 

**_~~ that evening ~~_**

Alex stood in the doorway of the infirmary, simply watching as Dr. Young continued to run his tests. It was still hard for him to believe that four years had gone by since he'd seen her, and that so much had changed while she was gone. He wondered if there was a way for them to continue their relationship now that she was back, but decided against it.

_'The last four years have been hell for her, she's going to need more time before I say anything to her,'_ he thought to himself. His thoughts were cut short as _she_ walked up behind him, putting her hand on his shoulder.

"Its her, isn't it?" she inquired.

He nodded. "Yes,"

"I remember you telling me about her, but Time Force declared her missing in action a long time ago. I never thought we'd find her," she said.

"Neither did I. I'd almost forgotten about her, then KJ came along and it all came rushing back to me," he said.

"You think the two of you will get back together?" she inquired.

He sighed. "I don't know Jen, too much has changed. I'm not the same person I was four years ago, and I suspect neither is she,"

"After all the pain in your life, after everything I've put you through; first with Wes, now with Tommy, you deserve some happiness in your life. If you still have feelings for this woman, I say you should explore those feelings and see where they take you," she explained.

"You really think so?"

"Yes, I do. You deserve it,"

"Things are going to be a lot different around here now. Our operative in Chyro Tech has been exposed, Sierra is here, and I'm stepping down as member of the counsel," he told her.

"What? Why?"

"I've become my own worst enemy Jen. I remember being in the academy, vowing that I'd never lose sight of where I came from, and what it was like to be out in the field. I promised myself I'd never be one of those pencil pushers who set behind their desk and tried to decide other people's fates. That isn't for me Jen, and I didn't realize it until I saw Sierra again," he explained.

"If that's the way you feel, I'll support you. I always do," she sighed.

"I know you will,"

~~

**Preview: Reunions**

Next time on Parallels II: Adam finds himself in the hospital, reunited with his first love.

_~~_


	23. Reunions

**_Disclaimer: _**_Power Rangers Time Force and all related logos are property of Disney and/or Saban Entertainment. I am using them without permission. KJ Sheldon, Lt. James Emery, Trinity Oliver, Camille Summers, Amanda "Mandy" Scott, Mr. & Mrs. Mathew Scott, Leo Claw and the "Omega Project" are property of yours truly._

**_A/N: _**_From what I've been told, the formatting problems with Fanfiction.net have been corrected. Please take a moment to review. I live for reviews!!_

**~~**

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**_* Angel Grove, California  1998 *_**

_The door to Adam's hospital room opened, there she stepped in. With a look of concern on her face and flowers in her hand, she walked over to the bed._

_"Hi sweetie," she sighed._

_He opened his eyes slowly. "Oh, hey Tanya," he mumbled._

_She set the flowers down on the nightstand next to the bed, and then reached for his hand. "I came as soon as I could. How are you feeling? What are the doctors saying?" she asked._

_"Nothing different. They don't know what it is, so they can't treat it," he said._

_"You should just tell them the truth, tell them what happened to you,"_

_"Even if I did, it wouldn't change anything. The morphers are beyond anything they could come up with, and there would be no way for them to treat me," he sighed._

_"I don't want you to die," she cried, trying to hold back the tears in her eyes._

_"I'll be fine, I promise,"_

_"There's something I have to tell you, something I've wanted to say to you for a long time," she wiped the tears away from her eyes. "I love you Adam Park, I've always loved you. I never thought you would be interested in me, so I kept my feelings to myself, but before you die, I want you to know how much you meant to me," she cried._

_"You should have told me,"_

_"I didn't know how. I didn't want you to reject me," she mentioned._

_"I wouldn't have,"_

_Then, it happened. The machine next to Adam's bed began to buzz. The monitor flickered as his condition changed. "Oh my God, Adam," she screamed. "I'll get the doctors," she said as she tried to run for the door, but he held onto her hand._

_"No," he moaned._

_"Let me go Adam, you're dying," she screamed._

_"I love you too Tanya. I always have," he sighed._

_Before she could respond, the monitor flat lined… and he was gone…_

~~

He sat up in a cold sweat. His sheets clung to him, and his vision was blurry as a wave of disorientation passed over him. He was dizzy, and it was enough to make him lay back down. There was a humming sound in the room, and an occasional beeping tone. It was easy for him to determine that he was in the infirmary. _'But what happened to me?'_ he thought to himself.

His thoughts shifted back to his last mission with Tommy and the others, but he couldn't seem to recall anything out of the ordinary happening to him. _'Ordinary,'_ he chuckled inwardly. _'If as traveling back in time and to alternate realities is ordinary,'_

Finally, he felt the disorientation pass, and he opened his eyes, glancing around the room. At first glance, it wasn't the infirmary, but he was convinced it was still a hospital of some kind. There were machines next to his bed, and he could feel a needle in his arm, confirming that beeping and humming sounds he'd been hearing. He also noticed that his Morpher wasn't on his wrist, which made him a little uncomfortable. It was bad enough he wasn't sure where he was, but to be in some unknown hospital without his Morpher was unsettling to say the least.

_'If they wanted to hurt me, I certainly wouldn't be in a hospital,'_ he thought.

He turned to his left, where he saw _her._

His vision was still a bit blurry, but as it slowly began to clear up, he realized who it was. "Tanya?" he mumbled.

Just then, her eyes opened as she leaped out the chair next to the bed. "You're awake. Oh my God," she squealed with excitement, rushing over to him and wrapping her arms around him. "I thought I'd lost you forever,"

"What happened?" he asked her, wiping the sweat away from his eyes.

"You don't remember? The doctors thought you had radiation poisoning, but it was from morphing without your power coin. Carlos brought you here about a month ago," she told him.

"What?"

She could tell something was upsetting him. "Listen, you just relax. I'm going to find a doctor," she said, heading for the door.

He tried to make sense of it all. He remembered morphing without his power coin, and he remembered Carlos bringing him to the hospital. _'But this isn't the way it happened,'_ he recalled.

Tanya returned, this time with the doctor, who had a clipboard in his hand. "Its good to see you up and around again Mr. Park. We were a little concerned for a while," the doctor said.

"Why?"

"We were able to treat your radiation poisoning, but there was no reason for you to stay asleep as long as you did. We ran tests to determine why, but as far as we could tell, you were just sleeping. We were going to have you moved to another clinic in a few weeks if the situation hadn't changed," he explained.

Adam slid out of bed, making his back to his feet, but collapsed to the floor. Tanya quickly reached for him, helping him back up and onto the bed.

"You haven't used your legs in over a month, you're going to have to give your body some time," she told him.

"What's going on? Where is Tommy?" he asked.

Tanya looked at him oddly. "Tommy? He just came home from his honeymoon with Kim. We tried to reach him when you first got here, but…" he cut her short.

"Not him, the other Tommy. The one from the future,"

Tanya looked at the doctor, hoping for an explanation, but he facial expression was void. She turned back to Adam. "What do you mean from the future?"

"He was here, and he used the Sphere of Omara to…" he paused, allowing his sentence to trail off. Suddenly, his mind was a blur. "I remember that…" he paused again. "I mean, I _thought_ I remembered," he sighed.

"Its natural for the mind to use dreams as a way to keep the mind active. You no doubt have been dreaming for the last month," the doctor said.

"All of it was a dream?"

"And now you're awake, and here with me," Tanya said cheerfully. __

"I think you should stay here for another day while we run a few tests, and if everything checks out, you'll be able to leave in the morning," he told them.

"Thank you doctor,"

Without a word, he walked out the room, letting Tanya and Adam be alone. "For a minute I didn't think you were ever going to wake up," she said.

"I like to sleep late, that's all," he joked.

She smiled. "Do you remember what I said to you before you… I mean, do you remember what we said to each other?" she asked him nervously.

He nodded. "Yes, I do,"

"You weren't just saying that to make me feel better before you died, were you? Because if you were I'd kick your…" he cut her short as he pulled her closer, kissing her. "Nevermind," she sighed as she backed away from him.

"Tanya, listen to me: I'm a little confused about a few things, but I remember everything I said to you that day. I've always loved you, and I always will, but right now, I need your help," he said.

"What can I do?"

"I need you to get in touch with Andros," he said.

**_* Silver Hills, California 3002 *_**

She'd been by his side the entire time.

Dr. Young assured her that he'd contact her the moment he regained consciousness, but Camille insisted on staying with him. There were times when he would jerk slightly, or squeeze her hand gently, and that was enough to keep her there. Every now and then he'd mumble something, but she wasn't able to make out what it was.

The other rangers had been released hours ago, with the exception of Trip, Nadira and Katie, who weren't responding to treatments as quickly as the others. 

_'I can't believe you almost died and I didn't get the chance to tell you how I felt about you, and how sorry I was for not being honest with you,'_ she thought to herself, holding his hand just a little tighter.

Her thoughts were interrupted as _he_ walked into the room. "How is he doing?" he asked.

She turned around, facing him. "The doc says he'll be fine, I just want to be here when he does wake up," she told him.

"Its good to see you Camille," he sighed, taking his hand on her shoulder.

"I don't get it Blake, when did you join Time Force? How did you become an operative? The last time I saw you, you hated Time Force," she mentioned.

"No, I hated what Time Force did to me. They took you from me, and then they killed my brother. I think I had a right to be upset," he told her. "After Roger was killed, Chyro Tech approached me, asking if I wanted to help them bring down Time Force once and for all. I thought about, and accepted their offer, but when I found out what they were doing over there, I had second thoughts. I went to Time Force to tell them what had happened, and that's when Alex asked me to be an operative," Blake explained.

"You've been in there for years?"

"It was the only way to gain the Admiral's trust. It took a while, but he made me chief of security. I was able to help Alex organize the assault on Chyro Tech," he said.

"Thank you," she wrapped her arms around him. "I know we didn't exactly end things on good terms, but now that you're here, I'd like it if we could be friends," she said.

"Yeah, friends," he sighed.

It was Lucas who walked into the room, making his way over to them. "Camille, Blake, Alex wants to see us in the observation lounge. Its important," he told them.

Camille backed away from Blake. "Alright. Blake, the two of you go ahead, I'll catch up in a sec," she said.

Blake nodded, and then followed Lucas out the room. Camille turned back to Trip, who was still lying on the examining table, leaning down and kissing him gently on the lips. "Wake up baby, I have so many things to tell you," she sighed, and then walked away.

**_* Angel Grove, California  1998 *_**

"Okay thanks, we'll be there," Kim said eagerly as she hung up the phone.

"Who was that?" Tommy asked her as he walked into the room, wrapping his arms around her.

"That was Carlos down at the hospital, he said Adam is awake," she said.

"That's great, we should go see him,"

"I told him we'd come down there in a while. Right now, I think Adam wants some time to be with Tanya," she said.

"I always thought the two of them would end up together," he said.

"No you didn't. You said he'd end up with Aisha,"

"No, _you_ said that. I said Tanya,"

He felt guilty for not being there when Adam got sick. Granted, he was on his honeymoon, but even when it was over and the two of them came home, he'd only gone to see Adam once. It was something about seeing him hooked to machines like that, lying motionless in that bed as doctors had no idea what was wrong with him. What was worse, everyone else knew, but also knew there was nothing to doctors would be able to do. He was relieved when he heard Adam would make a full recovery, but was still concerned about him being asleep for so long.

"Visiting hours will be over soon, we should get down there,"

"Yeah, it'll be good to see him again,"

~~

'Carlos to Andros. Come in,' 

Andros, onboard the Astromega ship, walked over to the control panels, opening a channel. "What is it Carlos?"

'You remember Adam Park, don't you?' 

"The former black ranger? Yes,"

'He wants to see you,' 

That struck him as odd, considering he'd never met Adam face to face. All he ever knew about Adam was that he was a former ranger, and he'd helped Carlos a few weeks ago by morphing without a power coin.

"He asked for me by name?" he asked.

_'Yes, he wants to talk to you about something, but he won't tell anyone what it is,'_ he said.

"Alright, tell him I'm on my way,"

**_* Time Force  3002 *_**

Camille walked into the observation lounge, where the others were already gathered around the table. Alex was standing at the head of the table, overlooking each of them. She quickly came in, taking a seat next to Tommy.

"How are they doing down there Camille?" Alex asked.

"The doc says they'll be fine in a few days," she told him.

"Glad to hear it. The reason I've called all of you here is to fill you in on a few things. By now, all of you heard that I've decided to step down as member of the counsel. Things are changing in Time Force, and we're going to need all the officers we can get," he turned to Blake. "Mr. CaSteel, could you please stand up?" he paused as Blake stood up. "Your efforts proved to be invaluable not only to Time Force, but to me personally. Without your help, we wouldn't have been able to shut down Chyro Tech. I hereby promote you to the field rank of Lt. Commander with all the rights and privileges of that rank," he said.

"Thank you, sir," he said proudly.

"I'm sure that most of you have your concerns about Sierra being here, and her having access to some of our more sensitive information, but Dr. Young assures me that she isn't under any external influence, mind control or any other means of control. She _is_ Sierra Crane," he said.

"Permission to speak freely sir," Tommy said, standing up.

"Of course commander,"

"I understand that Sierra is an old friend of yours, and that the two of you were involved once, but I think you're allowing that to cloud your judgment. If she was locked in a holding cell for four years, how was she able to create KJ and model her in her own image?" he asked.

"I can only suspect that Chyro Tech was using the information from her original prototypes to build KJ without Sierra's assistance. We have all of their files in our database now, we'll have it all analyzed in a few days," Alex said.

"I suggest that until we have analyzed everything and we know for sure Sierra had nothing to do with it, we should restrict her to quarters," Logan brought up, injecting himself into the conversation.

"She isn't a prisoner here," he said.

"But she isn't an officer either,"

"When she was kidnapped four years ago, she was an ensign. She _is_ an officer," he pointed out.

"But that was four years ago Alex. Restricting her to quarters is the best thing to do for now, just until we're sure," Jen brought up.

Alex sighed. "Fine," he turned to James. "Emery, I want you and Lucas to get to work on those files. Go through all of them until you conclude once and for all if Sierra had anything to do with KJ's creation," he said.

"We're on it,"

"While you're looking, see what you can find on their cloning process," he said.

"You got it boss," Lucas said as he and Emery stood up, walking out the room.

"Next on the agenda is tracking the down the _real_ Adam. According to the clone, a sample of Adam's DNA was taken and the clone was created, then Adam was sent to another dimension. Tommy, I want you and Jen to coordinate a search. Use his temporal signature to scan the dimensions, see if he can track him down," he ordered. "When KJ is up and around again, get her to help you,"

"We'll report back when we know something," Jen said as she and Tommy stood up, making their way out the room.

"What do you plan to do about the counsel? You were on the only member, but when you step down, there won't be a counsel," Logan brought up.

"I don't think we need a counsel anymore. We're beyond the need to have a counsel holding our hands and watching over us. The this a new era for Time Force, and I think we'll get along fine without a counsel," he said.

"So what will you do now?" Camille asked.

"I plan to resume my role as red ranger," Alex told her.

~~

**Preview: Reunions pt II**

Next time on Parallels II: While Adam struggles to find a way home, Univex returns with plans to take over Time Force. Meanwhile, Alex regains the red Chrono morpher.

_~~_


	24. Reunions pt II

**_Disclaimer: _**_Power Rangers Time Force and all related logos are property of Disney and/or Saban Entertainment. I am using them without permission. KJ Sheldon, Lt. James Emery, Trinity Oliver, Camille Summers, Amanda "Mandy" Scott, Mr. & Mrs. Mathew Scott, Leo Claw and the "Omega Project" are property of yours truly._

**~~**

"You want to do _what_?" Camille snapped, standing up.

"Don't sound so surprised. I was the first person to use the red Chrono morpher. The only reason Tommy was even able to use it was because of a shift in the time line. He's going to have his hands full with the baby in a few months, and we'll need a qualified red ranger," he mentioned.

"We still don't have a pink ranger. Maybe we should focus on…" she paused, noticing the look on his face. "You want to give the pink morpher to Sierra, don't you?" she asked him.

His facial expression didn't change in the slightest. "I'm not going to do anything rash just yet Camille. Until I have proof that Sierra is _my_ Sierra, I'm not even entertaining the idea. But ultimately, yes, I would like her to be a ranger," he said.

_'My_ _Sierra,'_ he sighed inwardly.

"Have you spoken to Jen about it?"

"I wasn't aware I needed her permission,"

"No, you don't, but it's a common courtesy that you ask. After all, she was the only person to use the pink Chrono morpher. In a way, its hers," Camille pointed out.

"No, they're property of Time Force. I've made a decision, and she'll have to abide by it," he said.

Camille paused, staring at Alex. "There's something you're not telling me," she said.

"Like what?"

"I don't know, but this is much bigger than just you getting back out in the field. You're up to something, you have an ulterior motive," she said. 

"I do not, I just think…"

"This isn't about you getting back into action Alex, so what is it?" she asked.

 "You know what, you're right. I'll discuss it with Jen first, see what she has to say before I make a decision," Alex said, quickly changing the subject.

"And what about Tommy? No offense, but he's been a great red ranger. I don't see any reason to change things if they're working so well,"

"Yes, he has, but it was never meant for him. This is something I have to do Camille," he told her.

"If you don't mind, I'm going to head back down to the infirmary to check on Trip. I want to be there when he wakes up," she said.

"Go ahead. We'll meet in the science lab at 1600 hours," he said.

**_* Angel Grove, 1998 *_**

Carlos walked into the hospital room where Tanya was sitting on Adam's lap. "I just talked to Andros, he said he's on his way here," he told him.

"Thanks man,"

"No problem, but I wish you'd tell me what this is about,"

"Lets just say I have a feeling," Adam said.

Just then, the doctor walked into the room with a chart in his hand. "Mr. Park, you'll be pleased to know that your test results are in and I see no reason why you can't be discharged in the morning," he told him.

"Why can't he be discharged tonight?" Tanya asked.

"I'd like to keep him here for observation just for the night. His heart rate has been a little high, and I want to determine if that is going to cause a problem for him,"

"I understand. I'll stick around, but I'll be home bright and early on the morning," he turned to Tanya. "You should go home and get some rest. I'll call you in the morning and you can pick me up," he said.

"But I want to stay with you,"

"You've been in this hospital with me for the last month, you should go home and lay in your own bed. Besides, I've only been awake six hours and I'm sick of the hospital food. Go get something to eat, and I'll see you first thing in the morning," he said.

"You sure?"

"Positive,"

"Alright," she kissed him gently on the lips, and then stood up. "I'll call you when I get home," she said, walking out the room.

"And you wonder why his blood pressure is up," Carlos joked.

"You should follow your own advice and get some rest Mr. Park, I'll come back during my rounds later this evening," the doctor said.

"Okay,"

As the doctor walked out the room, it was Andros who walked in, making his way over to the bed. "You wanted to see me?" he asked him.

"I'll let the two of you talk," Carlos said, excusing himself from the room.

"I know we've never met until now, but I think you're the best person to help me with my problem," he paused. "Everyone here is telling me that I've been asleep for the last month, but I remember differently. I remember someone from the future coming here and saving my life, then taking me to the future with them. I was there for at least a year, and I was a ranger again and…" he was cut short.

"Have you considered that it was just a dream?"

Adam shook his head. "No, I can't. I remember it all. The sounds, the smells, everything was all so real," he said.

"So how can I help?"

"Have you ever heard of Time Force?" Adam asked him.

He shook his head. "I can't say that I have,"

"They're a group of rangers from the year 3002. In a few years, you'll team up with two of the Time Force rangers to fight the Machine Empire on the moon," he mentioned.

His statement caught Andros' attention. "Why would we be on the moon?"

"Something about generals from the Machine Empire trying to bring back Serpentera, but that's all I know about it," he said.

"I've been tracking the generals of the Machine Empire for a little over a year now, making sure they never found Serpentera. It was last mission Zordon gave me before he was captured, and I haven't told anyone about it, not even the other rangers. How did you know about it?" he asked.

"Because it's all in the history logs. I remember reading about it, and Tommy filled me in on most of the details," he said.

"Tommy Oliver?"

"Yeah,"

"But I thought you said you were in the future,"

"I was," he paused. "During your battle with the Machine Empire, Tommy was exposed to the radiation in his morpher for the first time in years. It had an effect on him, kinda like mine, and the other rangers took him to Bio-Lab to be treated. They put him in Cryogenic containment until they could cure him," he explained.

"But no one on Earth has the ability to cryogenically contain a human being at this point in time," he said.

"They don't now, but they will a few years from now. Even Bio-Lab didn't have the technology then, you were with them when they took Tommy to the lab. Maybe you showed them how to contain him until they could cure him," he suggested.

"If you want you say is true, we should talk to the rangers at Bio-Lab and see what they know," Andros said.

"They aren't rangers yet, they won't be until 2001," he said.

"So you want me to believe that you were taken to the future to be a ranger, but for some reason a month later you returned to the past and everyone is trying to convince you that you've been asleep for the last month?" he asked him.

"Exactly. I know it sounds crazy, but…"

"No, it doesn't sound crazy at all. I know what's happening to you. You have to come with me now," he insisted.

**_* Time Force 3002 *_**

She'd been in her quarters for over an hour now, but she loved every minute of it. For the last four years, she'd been trapped in a holding cell with her wrists bound to a wall, so being confined to quarters was a virtual paradise for her. She sat on the couch, simply sinking down into the pillows as she kicked her feet up, putting them on the table. _'God I missed this,'_ she sighed, closing her eyes.

_'I've been gone so long, I've missed so much,'_ she thought to herself. She was convinced that Time Force must have made some remarkable breakthroughs of temporal mechanics since she left. _'The special projects division must have a lot of new technology, too,'_ she thought. Suddenly, she began to feel overwhelmed. Sooner or later, Time Force was going to put her back to work, but she was sure it would months, maybe even years to become familiar with all the new systems. Still, she was up for the challenge.

_'Anything is better that being cooped up in that damn cell,'_ she thought.

Just then, her thoughts were broken as she heard a noise. It caught her off guard, and after she heard it for a second time, she remembered what it was. "Someone here to see me?" she thought outload. 

She heard the sound for a third time. "Um, come in," she said.

The doors to her quarters slid open, and _she_ walked in. "I hope I am not disturbing you," she said.

Sierra quickly stood up, getting a good look at her. Every detail, from head to toe, to the tone of her hair color to the light hazel brown eyes, everything was a perfect match. "You must be…" she was cut short.

"My designation is Model A6, but I am called KJ. I was modeled in your image," she said calmly.

"When I left, the design I came up with for androids was still in the prototype phase. I hadn't even constructed it yet, but here you are," she said, staring in amazement as she stood up, standing face to face with her.

"I apologize if this is disconcerting to you. I will leave," she said, turning to walk away.

"No, don't go. By all means stay," KJ followed her to the couch, where the two of them sat down. "Who created you?" she asked her.

"I was constructed at Chryo Tech, but my design is based from your prototype. I was created in your image with hopes that I would be able to infiltrate Time Force," she said.

"Did it work?"

"Yes, but when the time came, I was able to resist my programming and do what I thought was right," she told her.

"You resisted your programming?"

"Yes. Although the memory emgrams of those incidents were lost, I have been told several times by my friends that I was able to make my own decision and help prevent an invasion," she said.

"I never imagined that I would ever get one of my androids to look as lifelike as you do. I'm impressed," she said.

"I am glad you are please. I spoke to Counsel Member Collins, and he thought it would be useful if you are I were to get to know one another. In a sense, you are my mother," KJ said.

She sighed. "I guess you could think of it that way," she said. 

"I took the liberty of accessing your personal files. I thought you would be interested to know the status of the rest of your family," she brought up.

_'My God, why didn't I think of them sooner?'_ she wondered to herself. "What do you know about my family?" she asked her.

"Your mother is well, but your father passed away approximately 2 years, 9 months, 3 weeks and 4 days ago. Your younger sister Myriah applied to the academy, but was denied. Your older sister, Shirley, was recently married and has a four month old daughter, Kia," she told her.

She paused. "How did dad die?"

"There were complications with his heart. Reports indicated that he had been treated several times for his condition, but without success,"

"Oh daddy," she sighed as a tear rolled down her face.

"If you wish, I can have your family contacted and brought here," KJ said.

She shook her head. "No, I'm not ready for that yet. When the time is right, I'll go see them all," she assured her.

"As you wish,"

"What about Xander? What has he been up to these past four years? Did he get married? Any children?" she inquired.

"No. After you were abducted, he conducted his own investigation, but found nothing. Finally, you were declared legally dead and the investigation was stopped. He was promoted rather quickly afterwards, eventually becoming a member of the counsel. As for his personal life, I have no information. However, I can tell you that he is currently not married and has produced no offspring," she told her.

"And there isn't anyone special in his life?"

"Again, I am not aware of the particulars of his personal affairs. However, I have personally observed that he has a special interest in Captain Jennifer Scotts-Oliver," she said.

She paused. "Jen Scotts? I remember her; she was in her first year at the academy when Xander and I were about to graduate. I _knew_ he had a crush on her,"

"On the contrary, she was recently married and is with child," she said.

"I bet Xander didn't take it very well," she sighed.

Although it had been four years, she knew the type of person Alex was. _'It takes a lot for him to open up, but when he does, he loves unconditionally,'_ she thought to herself.

"To my knowledge, he took the news of the engagement very well. He was extremely supportive," KJ told him.

"Good,"

_'Tommy to KJ. Come in,'_ they heard a voice say.

"Excuse me for a moment," she stood up, grabbing her communicator. "I am here Tommy. How may I be of assistance?" she asked.

_'Jen and I could use your help down in the lab if you're feeling up to it,'_ he said.

"Acknowledged. I will report to the lab at once," she said.

'Great. Tommy out,' 

"I apologize, but I must go. My assistance is required," KJ said.

Sierra stood up. "No, its fine. If you want to come back and talk again, that would be nice," she said humbly.

"I would like that," she said, walking out the room.

**_* Astro Megaship 1998 *_**

Adam walked onto the bridge of the Astro Megaship, amazed at how advanced everything looked. Most of it reminded him of being in the lab at Time Force. Andros motioned for him to follow him to a control panel up against the wall.

Andros sat down at the controls, putting a picture of a monster on the small monitor in front of him. "Have you ever seen this creature?" he asked.

He paused. "Yeah, I have. I was in Silver Hills… only it _wasn't_ Silver Hills. There were these… these creatures, and then I saw him," he paused. "That's all I can remember," he sighed.

"His name is Univex, he's a universal collector. He goes from world to world, from dimension to dimension collecting things and selling it to the highest bidder," he said.

"Inter-dimensional Ebay," Adam chuckled.

"About six weeks ago, he stole a time travel device from the labs on KO-35. I think that Univex traveled to your time and was hired by someone to send you back to _this_ time," he said.

"But why?"

"I suspect he wanted you out the way, which means he's planning something big in your time line. Sending you here and trying to erase your memories would be the perfect way to keep you busy," he said.

"Because he thought I would _want_ to be here,"

"Don't you? You can be with the woman you love again, and all your friends are here," he pointed out.

He nodded. "You're right, but I don't belong here. I have to get back to my own time and stop Univex from doing whatever he plans on doing. Besides, I think my heart belongs to someone else now," Adam said.

"Heres the bad news: I have no way to send you back to your own time," he said.

"You said KO-35 had access to time travel equipment. We can go to KO-35 and…" he was cut short.

"Even if we did, you'd only to be sent to the future from _this_ time line. It wouldn't be your time line anymore. You being here has already drastically altered the time line,"

"So do I get back?"

"The only way you could would be to go back to the exact point in time when Univex decided to change the time line, then go to the future and stop him from ever coming here," he said.

"So I have to go to the future, but I can only do it by going to the past?" he asked.

"In essence, yes, but there's another problem,"

"What now?"

"If you managed to get back to your own time _before_ Univex uses the machine to send you here and stopped him, it will be as if this time line never happened, which means you never went back to stop him. It would cause a temporal paradox, which, in theory, could destroy the entire universe,"

"So what are you saying? I'm stuck here?"

"Unless someone from _your_ time line manages to stop him and open a stable gateway from your time line to here, yes,"

"The other rangers should still be there, they could…"

"You have to assume that if Univex went through so much trouble to get you out the way, he managed to either clone you or send someone into Time Force to pose _as_ you until his plan is complete,"

He sighed.

**_* Time Force 3002 *_**

They'd been reviewing files for over forty-five minutes, trying to find any traces of evidence that Chyro Tech had influenced Sierra. The truth was, he didn't _want_ to find anything. 

Lucas remembered when Alex and Sierra first met. _'I introduced them,'_ he chuckled to himself. It was years ago, but he remembered it all as if it were yesterday…

"I can't believe we both got accepted to the academy," Alex said eagerly, looking over his schedule for the semester. "I hope we have some of the class classes," he said.

"I've got Quantum theories at 1100 hours, and a history class at 1230 hours," he mentioned as the two of them walked down the hall.

"History? When the hell are you going to need history?" he asked.

_"You never know when it could come in handy,"_

_"Whatever,"_

_Just then, she walked over to them. _

_"Hi Lucas," she said cheerfully._

_"Oh my God, Sierra?" he wrapped his arms around her, picking her up slightly. "Its good to see you," he said._

_"You too. I see you got accepted to the academy,"_

_"Yeah, it took me two years, but I finally got in," he paused. "Sierra, this is my friend Alexander. We went to high school together last year. Al, this is my friend Sierra," he introduced._

_Alex paused, nodding slightly. _

_"You're not by chance thee Alexander Collins I've been hearing so much about, are you?" she asked him._

_He blushed. "I suppose I am,"_

_"Is it true that during your entrance exam, instead of picking one of the options for solving a pre-destination paradox, you offered Time Force a third alternative?" she asked._

_"Yes, I did,"_

_"His alternative was so good that Time Force is going to make it a third option on the test," Lucas added._

_"Good job,"_

_"Thank you,"_

_"Well, I'm outta here. I have Logan for my A.I. class. I hear he can be a real pain in the ass if you're late to his class," she said. "It was nice to meet you Xander," she said with a smile, then walked away._

_"Xander?" Lucas inquired._

_He shrugged his shoulder. "What?"_

_"You may be a brain, but when it comes to women, you're an idiot," he said._

_"What is that suppose to mean?"  
  
_

_"You don't have to be a Quantum Mechanics major to know she was attracted to you, but you were too busy being 'dark and broody guy' to see it," he said._

_"I am not broody,"_

_"Then why do you wear those sunglasses all the time?"_

_He paused. "I just don't like the light in my eyes,"_

_"We're in the building, there is no light. I swear, you'll always be a day late and a dollar short when it comes to women," Lucas sighed._

Lucas giggled to himself. _'Even now he has a problem talking to women,'_ he thought to himself.

"So, what do you think?" Lt. Emery asked him, breaking his train of thought.

"Think about what?"

"Do you think she did it? You think she had something to do with building KJ?" he asked.

"According to the files we got from Chyro Tech, it looks as though they continued with her reseach and built KJ without Sierra's help. I read a log entry that was dated a little over three years ago, and it had detailed information about Chyro Tech attempting to convince Sierra to assist, but she refused and she was locked away," he explained.

"So that's it, she's innocent," he said.

"Looks like it," Lucas said.

"That's good. We should report to Alex and let him know. I'm sure he'll be glad to hear it," Emery brought up.

"Yeah, he will," he sighed. Just then, an alert went off. Lucas hurried over to the opposite side of the control room, sitting in front of the main control panel. "There's a temporal vortex opening in the past," he paused. "It looks like its originating from our time," he said.

"Where is the destination?"

"1998, somewhere in Angel Grove," he said.

"I'll alert Tommy and the others. Looks like we're going on a mission," James said, heading for the door.

"Wait," Lucas stood up. "I'll go. You stay here and go through the files one more time, see if I overlooked anything. If we do go on a mission, I'll contact you," he said, walking towards the exit.

"Yes sir," he sighed. 

**_* Astro Megaship  1998 *_**

_'Sensors are detecting a temporal vortex in Angel Grove,'_ D.E.C.A. announced, quickly getting Andros' attention.

Andros rushed over to the controls, activating the view screen. Adam, who was standing off to the side, got a good look at it. "That looks like the vortex from the Slipstream," he said.

They both watched as _he _stepped through the portal.

"Univex," Andros sighed. "But why would be come here now?"

"We don't have time to worry about it, we need to get down there and stop him before he does any damage," he said.

"You're in no condition for a fight. D.E.C.A., contact the other rangers and have them meet me in the park as soon as possible," he instructed.

_'Acknowledged,'_ the computer answered.

"What about me?" Adam asked.

"I suggest you head back to the hospital. If you're not back soon, people may start asking questions," he said. "If I find out anything new, I'll let you know," he said.

"Thanks Andros,"

_"LET'S ROCKET," _he called out, transforming into the red ranger, then rushed off the bridge.

~~

**Preview: Reunions pt III**

Next time on Parallels II: Alex goes back to the past to contend with Univex.

_~~_


	25. Reunions pt III

**_Disclaimer: _**_Power Rangers Time Force, Power Rangers in Space and all related logos are property of Disney and/or Saban Entertainment. I am using them without permission. KJ Sheldon, Lt. James Emery, Trinity Oliver, Camille Summers, Amanda "Mandy" Scott, Mr. & Mrs. Mathew Scott, Leo Claw and the "Omega Project" are property of yours truly. Sierra Crane appears courtesy of… well, Sierra. _

_Please take a moment to review. I live for reviews!!_

**~~**

Amanda paced back and forth in her quarters with her arms folder. The look on her face, her entire disposition made it obvious that she was frustrated. "I can't believe they brushed us off like that," she snapped, kicking the table in the living room.

"And I'm sure taking it out on the furniture will make it better," Sasha mentioned.

Amanda stopped dead in her tracks, staring at her with a cold look in her eyes. "Don't you even care that they brushed us off like that? We could be value to this mission, we could have something to contribute," she paused. "Just yesterday they wanted to give me a morpher and send me off on a mission, now they're saying _'this is too dangerous. We can handle it,'_ What kinda crap is that?" she snapped.

"Did it ever occur to you that whatever destiny has planned for us is much bigger than this mission, and that Time Force doesn't want to risk anything happening to us before we do what we have to do?" she asked.

She sighed. "You're probably right, but that's not the point," she slumped down on the couch next to Sasha, putting her head on her shoulder. "A few weeks ago we were just cadets like every one else here. If they hadn't told us about our destiny, that we were meant to do something just bigger, I wouldn't be sitting here now waiting for fate to run its course," she said.

"That's why no one should know too much about their own destiny. Instead of allowing it to happen, you're _waiting_ for it to happen,"

"Damn you and your Xybrian logic," she said with a giggle.

Just then, it happened…

The jewel on Sasha's forehead began to glow, and she leaned over, holding her head in pain. She screamed out, and the pain was so intense that she fell to the floor, putting her hands over her eyes.

There were images… or at least flashes of images. There was a field, or maybe a park. It was raining, and there was a huge, shadowy figure standing over… someone. There was blood everywhere, and…

"Sash, what is it?" Amanda leaned down, trying to help her up, but Sasha refused to move. "I'm going to go get help," she said, rushing over to the communications unit in her quarters.

"No, I'm fine," Sasha sighed, rolling over and letting out a sigh of relief.

Amanda noticed that the jewel on Sasha's head was getting dimmer, until final, it wasn't glowing at all. "What the hell was that?"

"I had a vision,"

"Does it always happen like that? I remember reading that Xybrian visions were common amongst your people," she said.

"They are, but the males of our species are able to withstand the visions more than the females," she said.

"So what happened? What did you see?"

"Something is going to happen. I saw a lot of blood, and a huge man wearing a metal suit with spikes of it. I'm not sure who he is or who hes going to get hurt, but whoever it was, they were hurt bad," she told her.

"That's not much to go on,"

"We have to do _something_ Amanda," she cried.

"I'll contact Camille, see if she can help us dig up anything," she said, walking over to the communications unit. "Amanda to Camille, please respond,"

~~

"So what happened doc?" Camille asked in a panic.

Dr. Young stood over Trip, who was still on the examining table, going over his reports. "As far as I can tell, Trip experienced a vision. That isn't uncommon among the Xybrian people, so I don't think its anything to worry about," he said.

"But Xybrian's don't get visions unless there's something seriously wrong, or something terrible is about to happen," she pointed out.

"You're correct, but I'm only a doctor. I'm not qualified to determine what the vision was or whom it will affect. From what I can tell, the vision he experienced _did_ raise his heart rate and blood pressure, but he's in no serious danger. Whatever he saw has nothing to do with him," he said.

_'Amanda to Camille. Please respond,'_ a voice called out.

Camille instinctively reached for her morpher, but it didn't take her long to remember it was gone. She chuckled inwardly, then grabbed her communicator out her pocket. "I'm here Mandy, what is it?"

_'Sasha just had a vision. I'm not sure what it was, but something terrible is about to happen,'_ she said.

"Have you informed anyone else yet?"

'No, just you,' 

"Good. Do you know where the special projects division is?" she asked her.

'Yes,' 

"Get Sasha and meet me there. I'll contact Khalil and have him join us," she said.

'We're on our way,' 

"You're not thinking of doing anything rash, now are you Ms. Summers?" Dr. Young asked her.

"Come on doc, you know me better than that," she said, walking out the room.

"I _do_ know you, that's what worries me," he sighed.

*

He laid back on the examining table, unsure of what to expect. The doctor had run several tests on him in an attempt to explain the dizziness and headaches he'd been feeling the last few hours, and results were taking a little longer than he anticipated. _'What does it matter? Once they find the real Adam, they're just going to lock me away in a cell and let me rot,'_ he thought to himself. 

"Adam," the doctor said, unsure of what else to call him. "I have the results of the scans we performed," he said.

"What do they say?"

"From what I can see, since you were created from a little supply of DNA, your body is having an adverse reaction to not only the transporter systems, but the air you're breathing is toxic to you," he said.

"How?"

"I suspect that when Chyro Tech copied Adam's DNA to create you, his DNA had already been effected by the radiation levels on the world he was on. They injected you with the cure, but the radiation had already begun to spread throughout your body like a virus, attacking your vital organs. Now, instead of your body filtering out the carbon dioxide in the air, its taking it all in, and its wreaking havoc on your body," he explained.

"Give it to me straight doc, can you cure me?"

"Giving you any treatment at this point would only speed up the process. Your DNA is damaged on a cellular level, and if I try to give you anything for it, it will only speed up the process," he said.

He paused. "How long do I have?"

"A day, maybe two, provided you stay away from the transportation systems and I give you oxygen treatments," he said.

"You want me to spend my last few days strapped down to a machine? I can't do it doc," he said.

"If you don't, you won't even have two days to worry about it,"

"There has to be _something_ we can do,"

"I'm sorry, there isn't," Dr. Young said, walking away. 

*

"You wished to see me Commander?" KJ asked as she walked into the science lab, making her way over to Tommy and Jen, who were sitting in front of the main control panel.

Tommy turned to her. "We need your expertise with this one," he turned around, directing her attention to the view screen in front of them. "We've been able to identify Adam's genetic signature. Since this signature is unique in each dimension, the systems will only lock onto _our_ Adam when they find a match, but we have to assume that Adam can be in any dimension and any point in time. We were hoping that…" he was cut short.

"Yes Commander, I would be pleased to scan them for you. I am able to process information more quickly than a human, so a complete scan of every reality at every point in time should take me approximately," she paused, silently doing the calculation. "Seventeen minutes," she said.

"It would have taken us that long just to scan the first reality," Jen noted.

"I will report to you as soon as I find anything significant," she said, sitting down in front of the monitor.

Tommy and Jen headed for the exit, but as soon as the doors opened, they saw _him_ standing there. "Commander, Captain, I need to have a word with you," he said.

"Sure, what's on your mind Alex?" Tommy asked.

The three of them stepped into the hallway. "I just spoke with Lucas a few minutes ago. Apparently he can't find any proof that Sierra was ever working with Chyro Tech on the creation of KJ, and she isn't be effected by any external force. With that in mind, I wanted to know how the two of you would feel about her getting the pink Chrono morpher," he brought up, then paused, allowing them to think things over.

"But I thought _I_ was going to get the morpher back after I delivered the baby," Jen pointed out.

"You didn't plan on coming to work right away, did you? You should be at home with your baby, and your husband," he said.

"He's right Jen. There's no need to jump right back into things. Besides, I thought you were enjoying working with the cadets," Tommy mentioned.

"I am, but I miss being in the field. I felt like I was doing some good when I was out there fightin' the good fight," she said.

"I know how you feel," he turned to Tommy. "Which is why I want to resume my role as red ranger," Alex said.

"You want _my_ morpher?" Tommy asked.

"I won't order you to hand it over to me, but I will point out that right now, your highest priority should be your wife and child. The red morpher was never meant for you, and I…" he was cut short.

"Are you sure this is what you want to do?" Jen asked him.

"What do you mean?"

"Its not as easy as it looks out there, and what we do here is unlike anything you've ever done. Sure, you've gone through time and helped history along, and you've helped capture escaped mutants, but you're talking about exploring other realms of reality. I don't think you know what you're getting in to," she said.

"I'm aware of the risks, and this is something I want to do. What? The two of you thought you were going to be doing this forever? You thought you'd be out saving the universe everyday and still have time to mix bottles and change diapers at the end of the day? I think this is best for everyone right now," Alex explained.

Jen paused, turning to Tommy. "Could you give me a few minutes alone with Alex?" she asked.

"Sure. I'll be in our quarters if you need me," he said, kissing her warmly on the cheek, then walked away.

She waited until Tommy was gone before she said anything. "Okay _Alexander_, what's really going on?" she asked.

"I don't know what you mean _Jennifer_,"

"Yes you do. What's with the sudden burst of family values? You always told me that duty came first, period. Now you're saying we should stop everything we're doing for the baby so you can get back in the game?" she snapped.

He sighed. "I'm doing this for you Jen,"

"What?"

"I lost my first true love four years ago, and there was nothing I could do about it. I searched for her, but back then, we didn't have the resources that we have now, and my search came up empty handed every time. Finally, Sierra was declared legally dead, and it left a hole in my life. It took me almost two years to move on with my life, and then I met you. What we had was wonderful, it still is, but I lost you too, eventually. I don't want you and Tommy to end up that way. I don't want you to be sitting on your quarters when the call comes in that something happened to Tommy, and I don't want to be the one who has to explain to your child that its parents were in some kind of accident and won't be coming home. Damn it Jen, just for once, listen to me. Stay home with your family, because if you don't, you'll regret it the rest of your life," he explained to her.

She moved in closer to him, wrapping her arms around him, kissing him gently on the cheek. "I'm sure Sierra will make a great pink ranger," she sighed.

"You mean you're okay with this?"

"Yes. And for once, you're right. I need to be with my family. I'll tell Tommy that you'll be resuming your role as red ranger, and explain to him that it's the best for everyone involved," she said.

"Thank you Jen,"

She started to walk away, but stopped. "Alex, I hope you and Sierra can patch things up," she said, then walked off.

"Yeah, me too," he sighed. Once Jen was gone, Alex walked into the science lab, where KJ was working. "KJ, I need a favor," he said.

"What can I do to be of assistance?" she asked him, never taking her eyes away from her work.

"Sensors detected a portal opening from our time to the year 1998, I need you to activate the slipstream and send me to those exact coordinates," he said.

"Are you expecting the others to join you?"

"No, I am not. I'm doing this one alone," he said.

"Are you sure that is wise?"

"Just activate the slipstream," he ordered.

"Stand by," she said, inputting the correct commands.

Alex walked over to one of the storage lockers, inputting his authorization code, and then opened it, pulling out the red Chrono morpher. "Do you know if Camille had a chance to reset the DNA recognition subroutines for the red Chrono morpher yet?" Alex inquired.

"She has been in the infirmary with Lt. Trip since returning from Chyro Tech, I do not believe she has been able to the adjustments you requested," she said.

"Fine," he put the morpher back in the locker, shutting it. "Open the portal," moments later, the slipstream activated, and a blue swirling vortex appeared. "Have Camille get down here and reset those morphers while I'm gone," he said, stepping through.

The vortex began to shrink, eventually closing altogether.

*

Camille led the three of them into the special projects division, allowing them in. "Computer, initiate security protocol Summers 216," she said.

_'Authorization accepted. Security protocols in place,'_ the computer answered.

"Good, now we won't be disturbed," she walked over to a control panel, inputting a code, and moments later, an image appeared on the screen. "Sasha, is this the guy you saw in your vision?" she asked her.

Sasha got a good look at him. "Yes, that's him," she said.

"His name is Univex, he is a inter-dimensional collector. He goes from world to world, reality to reality, collecting things. His favorite trophy is Power Rangers," she told them.

"So Sash had a vision about this overgrown hedgehog, what are we suppose to do about it?" Khalil asked them.

"According to internal sensors, someone in the science lab has opened a portal to the year 1998. Apparently that's where Univex has headed. I also know that someone from Time Force has gone back to try to stop him, but they will fail. Univex has been preparing for this moment, and has more than enough power to destroy anyone in his way," she said.

"So what do you want _us_ to do?" Amanda asked.

"I'm sending the three of you back in time to stop him," Camille said.

"But you just said that he can't be stopped. How do you expect us to stop him?" Sasha asked.

"About a year ago, we were attacked by a group of beings called Harvengers. They were completely unstoppable, so we had to find a way to contain them. Trip and I designed a containment system that would drain them of their energy, and I think it can be applied to work with Univex. I want the three of you go to the past and trap him inside one of the containment units," she said.

"Sure, we'll just ask him nicely to step inside. That'll work," Khalil sighed.

"I want you to use this," she handed Amanda a small device, no bigger than quarter. "This is mini site to site teleportation unit. All you have to do is put this on him, and I'll be able to do the rest. I won't lie to you, this is going to be a dangerous mission, and chances are you might be killed. You're only cadets, so I can't order you to do, but Time Force needs you right now. Can I count on you?" she asked him.

"I'll do it," Sasha said.

"Me too," Amanda said.

"Someone is going to have to keep an eye on you two. I'm in," Khalil said.

"Good," she turned back to the computer. "Computer, synchronize the mainframe with the mainframe in the science lab, then preparing for a site to site transport to the last coordinates input into the computer from the lab," she said.

_'Working,'_ there was a pause. _'Synchronization complete, ready for teleportation,'_

"Remember guys, just get this on him and get out of there. I'll handle the rest," Camille said.

"You got it,"

"Computer, initiate teleportation sequence," she said.

There was a flash of light, and the three of them were gone.

**_* Angel Grove 1998 *_**

Andros arrived at the coordinates, but everything appeared to be calm. There weren't any people as far as the eye could see, which struck him as strange. _'Where is everyone?'_ he wondered. From the looks of things, there was no sign of a struggle, so he quickly ruled out that there was some sort of battle in the area recently. He was about to contact the ship when…

"Welcome red ranger," a menacing voice called.

He turned around, getting a good look at him. "Univex, I should have known," he said.

"You and the other rangers have ruined my plans for the last time. This time, I will destroy you," he told him, rushing towards Andros with his staff.

Andros was able to avoid being hit, going for a sweep, but Univex did a backflip, avoiding it. Andros went for a kick, but Univex swatted him away. He tried again, this time with corkscrew kick, but no luck. Univex swung his staff again, but Andros caught it, snatching it away from him.

"Lets finish this," he said, charging at him with the staff.

"You're right, lets," he said coldly, emitted a laser beam from his eyes, hitting Andros in the chest. That was enough to knock him to the ground, dropping the staff in the process. Andros powered down, gripping his chest in pain as Univex stood over him, ready to stab him with the staff. "You have been a formidable opponent ranger, but it ends here,"

He cocked back with every inch of strength he had, but when he lunged down, something snatched the staff out of his hands. Univex turned around, only to be kicked in the face by…

"Your time is up Univex," Alex said, standing firmly with the staff in hand.

"You will die by my hand human," he said, rushing towards him.

Alex threw the staff at his legs, forcing Univex to trip on it, taking him to the ground. Before he had a chance to get up, Alex put his hands behind his back, locking him in electromagnetic handcuffs. "You are under arrest," he said proudly.

"Impudent human," Univex groaned, snapping the cuffs seemingly without effort. He gave Alex a backhand, knocking him down. "I am immortal, I am eternal, I cannot be beaten," he snarled.

Andros was back on his feet, kicking Univex from behind, but it only managed to make him stumble forward. Alex tried for a sweep, but Univex kicked him, taking him back down. "When will you impertinent humans realize that I cannot be defeated?" he snapped.

Just then, there was a flash of light, and the three of them appeared. "So you're the big bad everyone is making such a fuss about. Funny, I expected you to be taller," Amanda said, standing face to face with Univex.

"Is that the best Time Force has to offer me? A child? You impetuous little girl, I will crush you with my bare hands," he said, swinging at her, but she managed to avoid it.

Khalil and Sasha gave him a double sabat kick, knocking him to one knee. Univex grabbed Amanda by the throat, lifting her up with one hand. "Its time to die bitch," he snapped.

Amanda pulled the device Camille had given her out her pocket, attaching it to his hand. Alex dived at Amanda, snatching her free of Univex's grip as Andros connected with a kick to the side of the head. Before Univex could hit the ground, his disappeared into a stream of light.

"What the hell are you three doing here?" Alex snapped.

"We were under orders from Ms. Summers. Besides, it looked like you could use the help, sir," Sasha said.

He nodded. "Good work you guys. Where did you send him?"

"Camille said she'd found a way to contain him. I don't think we'll be seeing Univex again any time soon," Khalil said.

Andros walked over to them. "Let me guess, Time Force, right?" he asked, extending his hand to Alex.

Alex paused. "What do you know about Time Force?" he replied, ignoring Andros' hand.

"Adam Park was abducted by Univex and brought here. He contacted me and told me he was from the future, now how Time Force had encountered Univex before. He…" he was cut short.

"Adam is here?"

"Yes,"

Alex reached for his communicator. "Alex to science lab, come in," he said.

There was a pause.

_'Science lab here. This is KJ sir, how may I be of assistance?' _a voice answered.

"Can you confirm that these temporal coordinates are from _our_ reality?" he asked.

_'Affirmative. The coordinates input into the computer were temporal coordinates. You are in fact in the past, our past,'_ she said.

"So Univex wins anyway. With Adam being here, the time line will be effected, and future history will be changed," Alex sighed.

"There has to be something we can do," Amanda said.

He shook his head. "No, there isn't. Adam was meant to die in that hospital. It wasn't until he died that Tommy brought him back using the Sphere of Omara, then brought him to the future," he said.

"Why don't we just take Adam back with us? Problem solved," Khalil said.

"It isn't that easy. If Adam just leaves, time won't progress the way it was meant to, and the time line will change again. There has to be a way to let them _think_ Adam has died, but still get Adam home without disrupting the natural flow of time," he said.

_'I think I have an idea. Amanda, I want you and the others to come home. Alex, I'll meet you at the hospital Adam is suppose to be in,'_ Camille said.

"You got it," he said.

*

Adam laid in his hospital bed, taking a deep breath. Part of him wanting to stay in the past, to stay with Tanya, but he knew he couldn't. _'I wonder how differently things would have turned out if I'd stayed with Tanya, and we'd gotten the chance to see how far our relationship could have gone,'_ he thought to himself.

The more he thought about it, but more he began to realize that it was completely out of his control. There wouldn't be a way to contact the future for another few years. _'Jen and the others won't come here until the year 2000, but if I try to tell them what's going on, it will disrupt the time line,'_ he reminded himself.

He began to contemplate what his life would be like if he simply stayed. _'I could be with Tanya, settle down, leave all this ranger stuff behind me. I could finally love on with my life,'_ he thought. _'But if I do, Tanya will never marry TJ, and they'll never have Theo. Theo is meant to play a role in the future,'_ he thought. His next option was to simply disappear. _'Sooner or later, Tommy and the others will figure out where I am and come for me. They'll be able to sort this all out,' _he thought.

Adam got up, heading for the window and opened it. He quickly looked out the window, realizing he was on the third floor. "That isn't going to work," he said, and then headed for the door. As soon as he opened it, he saw _them._

"Tommy? I knew you'd come," he said, wrapping his arms around him. "Come on, we have to get out of here," he said.

"You have to stay here until the doctor releases you man, you know that," he told him.

Adam took a step back, realizing that _this_ Tommy had long hair. Behind him was Kimberly, who rushed over to Adam, wrapping her arms around him.

"I'm so glad you're okay. We came as soon as we could. We came a few times, but you were always asleep," she said.

He paused. "I went into my coma when you guys were on your honeymoon, didn't I?" he asked.

"Yeah man, but we still came. Some things are just more important," Tommy said.

Adam sighed. "Its really good to see you guys, but I need to be alone right now. You can come back in a while, okay?" he asked.

"Are you feeling okay?" Kim inquired.

"My stomach is feeling kinda strange, but I'm fine. I just need to rest," he said, hoping they wouldn't pry into the situation.

"We'll head down to the gift shop and pick you up something nice. I think I saw a stuffed frog down there," she said.

Adam smiled. "That would be nice," The two of them walked out the room, and Adam walked over to his bed, flopping down. "What am I suppose to do now?" he sighed.

"Adam?" he heard a voice say.

He looked up and saw _her._ "Camille?" he sat up. "Camille!" he sighed, rushing over to her. "Its great to see you,"

"Come on, we have to get you out of here," she said.

"I can't. If I just disappear, it'll contaminate the time line," he said.

"I came prepared," she reached for her communicator. "Camille to KJ, we're ready here," she said.

_'Confirmed. Stand by,'_ a voice said.

Just then, Alex walked into the room, making his way over to them. "Lt. Park, its good to see you," he said.

"Same here,"

"I just saw Tommy and Kim in the hall. I'd forgotten how disconcerting that can be," he said.

There was a stream of light, and _he_ appeared.

"Adam, meet Adam," Camille said.

"What? How is that possible?" he paused. "Oh, I get it, he's from another reality," Adam said.

"Do you remember the last mission you went on?" Camille asked.

"Yeah, I got left there for years. I barely survived, but one day I fell asleep and woke up here," he said.

"From our perspective, you were only gone two days. The time moved on much slower on that world, so for every year you were trapped here, it was only hours for us," she said.

"While you were there, a sample of your DNA was taken and I was created to replace you. Univex transported you here, to the exact point in time where you left, while I took your place at Time Force," the other Adam said.

"So you're a…"

"Clone? Yes," he said.

"Why are you here now?" Adam asked.

"My DNA is unstable, I'm dying. Its only a matter of time before my cellular structure will deteriorate until eventually, it collapses completely," he said.

"Adam has agreed to stay here while you return to the future with us," Camille said.

"But what about the time line?"

"The history logs mentions that you died in the hospital, after being the hospital for a month. The way you remember it, Tommy brought you to the future and had Carlos and the other space rangers to tell people you were sent to your family. That way, doctors wouldn't be able to perform an autopsy and discover you were a ranger. You had no knowledge of this incident until now," Alex explained.

"You mean all of this was meant to happen?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes. When the time line was changed and you were brought to the future, the space/time continuum adjusted itself. The history logs have always stated this is how it would happen, but none of us completely understood it until this moment," he said.

"You sure this is what you want to do?" Adam asked, turning to his clone.

He nodded. "It'll give me a chance to do something good for a change," he said, walking over to the bed and laid down.

"But what will happen when they do an autopsy?" he asked.

"His cellular damage is so bad that if they try an autopsy, they won't find anything," Camille said.

"Okay guys, lets go home," Alex said.

**_* Time Force 3002 *_**

****

****

"I know spent a lot of time in the hospital recently, but we need to be sure that the world you were on didn't have any lasting effects on your DNA. We wouldn't want you to end up like your clone did," Dr. Young told him as he began running tests.

"I'm just glad to be back," Adam sighed.

"I imagine it must have been strange for you, waking up and finding yourself reunited Tanya Sloan like that. Then to have to relive losing the love of your life," he said.

Adam glanced over at Katie, who was laying on one of the examining tables, then shook his head. "No, not at all. I _am_ with the love of my life," he said, reaching over and grabbing Katie's hand.

Dr. Young smiled.

~~

**Preview: Part of me**

Next time on Parallels II: Tommy and Jen get some startling news about her pregnancy. Meanwhile, Katie undergoes a procedure that could change her entire life.

_~~****_


	26. Part of me

**_Disclaimer: _**_Power Rangers Time Force, Power Rangers in Space and all related logos are property of Disney and/or Saban Entertainment. I am using them without permission. KJ Sheldon, Lt. James Emery, Trinity Oliver, Camille Summers, Amanda "Mandy" Scott, Mr. & Mrs. Mathew Scott, Leo Claw and the "Omega Project" are property of yours truly. Sierra Crane appears courtesy of… well, Sierra. _

_Please take a moment to review. I live for reviews!!_

_FF.net said the problem with the format was corrected, but it still seems off to me. I hope it isn't so jumbled that it makes this a hard read._

**_*_**

Dr. Young stood over her as she laid on the examining table, going over the last of her charts and paperwork. With the exception of a few pieces of equipment humming, the entire room was silent. He'd been a doctor with Time Force for years, and he'd seen things that he didn't think were medically possible, but Lt. Commander Kathryn Taylor was the biggest enigma he'd even come across.

_'Half human, half Ethros,'_ he thought to himself, amazed at the concept of a human being mating with an Ethros demon. He'd done his research, trying to find out as much as he could about it so he would be able to treat Katie, but his research hadn't given him any insight.

That's what he called in an expert…

"You wanted to see me doctor?" Khalil asked, walking into the infirmary.

"I realize its rather late cadet, but I need some information regarding the Ethros," he mentioned.

"Sorry doc, I don't know much about the Ethros, my parents didn't tell me very much about them when I was growing up," he said.

"But aren't you…"

"Half Ethros? No, Katie and I have different mothers," he paused. "Katie's mother died shortly after childbirth, apparently an Ethros and a human weren't suppose to conceive a child together, and it was too much for her," he said.

"I see," he went over his paperwork again. "I've done some research, and I've discovered that the Ethros are symbiotic creatures, and cannot survive without a host body," he said.

"Once the symbiot finds a host, it begins to rewrite its DNA to suit their needs. The same thing happened to Katie's mom, but the symbiot got a hold to her while she was pregnant with Katie," he told him.

"That explains why she has the strength of an Ethros, but none of the inherent characteristics of the demon," he sighed, wondering why he hadn't been able to figure this out on his own.

"What is all this about doc?"

"During the mission to Chyro Tech, Katie's body was exposed to low amounts of radiation. Normally, this wouldn't be a problem, and I can simply give a serum that would counter the effects, but with Katie, her body is rejecting the serum. Her Ethros half won't allow the serum to work, and unless I do something soon, the radiation will poison her," Dr. Young explained.

"Are there any other options?"

"Unfortunately, no. A pure Ethros demon would simply heal itself without a second thought, and a pure human would allow the serum to work, but with a combination of the two, giving her any more of the serum would do more harm than good," he said.

"Can't you just separate them?"

"What do you mean?"

"Remove her Ethros DNA," Khalil suggested.

"If I did, it would be like killing a life form. The Ehtros DNA needs a body to feed from, simply removing it would leave Katie completely human, but her Ethros side would die," he said.

"I don't know much about genetics doc, but if there's enough DNA from the Ethros, couldn't it be inserted into a new body? Maybe a clone?" he asked.

"Clones are too unstable. We haven't been able to perfect the process,"

"But wouldn't her Ethros DNA compensate for the instability of the clone host and repair the damage?" he asked him.

He paused. "The Ethros DNA would repair almost all of the cellular damage, allowing the clone to live a normal life. That is, in theory," he mentioned.

"Is there enough Ethros DNA to create an entire clone?"

"Yes, but in theory, it wouldn't _be_ a clone. It would be a full-blooded Ethros demon. It might share a few of Katie's mannerisms and facial expressions, but it would be a demon,"

"You said it yourself doc, we're running out of options. My sister is going to die unless we do something for her now," Khalil said.

"I'd need an immediate member of the family to approve a procedure like this," he said.

"I can do that,"

"And I have to warn you that there is no guarantee that any of this will be successful. We may do more harm than good here," he said.

"I understand the risks," Khalil sighed.

"I'll have to discuss this with Counsel Member Collins. This kind of procedure could have unforeseen consequences, and I'm sure it will be considered a major security risk. After I have spoken to him, I will contact you,"

"Understood," he said, walking out the room.

*

The door opened, and Trip walked into his quarters. He was still a bit disoriented, but everything was exactly the way he left it. He headed inside, tossing his jacket on the hook by the door, then flopped down on the couch, letting out a sigh.

Ever since returning from the Chryo Tech mission, he'd been in the infirmary, and it was simply good to be home. The radiation treatment Dr. Young had given the others took longer to work on Xybrian physiology, forcing him to spend several days in the infirmary. With Chyro Tech out of the way, he was looking forward to getting back to work.

Just then, he heard a chime. He recognized it right away as the doorbell, but for some reason, it sounded different to him. "Come in," he said, refusing to move.

The door slid open, and she walked in carrying balloons. "Welcome home Trip," she said eagerly, walking over to him and handing him the balloons. "I wanted to be there when you woke up, but I got tied up in the lab,"

"Its okay, I know you were busy. Besides, I knew you were there," he said.

"Really?"

"Yeah, I could _sense_ you there," Trip said.

She smiled. "Are you feeling okay now?" she asked.

"Dr. Young says I'm ready to return to active duty, but Alex wants me to wait an extra day just in case," he told her.

"Trip, I wanted to tell you that…" he cut her short.

"Camille, you don't owe me any explanation. You were working on the morpher because it was what _you_ had to do. I'm sorry I didn't support you, I just wanted you to be safe," he said.

"I know you did,"

"When I walked in and saw you laying on the floor because of that damn thing, I panicked. I thought I'd lost you," he said.

She moved closed to him. "You could never lose me Trip. Never," she sighed.

 Trip quickly stood up, backing away from her. "I'm glad that you're okay," he said.

"So that's it Trip? That's all?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean. You're going to try to forget that we were in love with each other?!" she snapped.

"You were in love with me?" he asked.

"Madly and completely. I still am in love you with," she stood up, walking over to him. "Are you saying you aren't in love with me anymore?"

"I…" he paused. "I don't know,"

"You're a part of me Trip, you always have been. From the moment we met we both knew it, and now you want to forget it ever happened, like it didn't mean anything to you," she said.

"I didn't say that,"

"You didn't _have_ to say it. I came here hoping we could work things out and get back together. I thought that if I told you how I felt and explained to you why I did what I did, you would forgive me and we could be together, but you've made it painfully obvious that you don't want me back," Camille snapped, heading for the door.

He wanted to say something, something that would calm her down, something to tell her that it wasn't true, but it was too late…

… she was gone.

*

"Are you sure this is the only way to save her?" Alex asked, pacing back and forth in his conference room. As usual, he had a calm, emotionless look on his face.

"It's the only thing we can think of. Without separating the Ethros DNA from her human DNA, both will die," he explained.

"But what will happen to Katie's Ethros DNA once you remove it?" Adam asked, injecting himself into the conversation.

"When the procedure is complete, we'll have a full blooded Ethros demon on our hands. It will be devoid of human emotion, thought or higher reasoning. You may want to have security posted through out the infirmary in case something goes wrong," he said.

"You believe this demon will be a security risk?"

"I'm unsure of what the end result will be. In this case, I think its better to be safe than sorry," the doctor mentioned.

"Why not just destroy the DNA?" Alex asked.

"Because it's a part of Katie," Adam said.

"You're right, a part that's _killing_ her right now. I see no need to undergo a procedure that could be potentially dangerous," he said.

"I don't think that's right. We're talking about a lifeform here," Tommy said, infusing his opinion on the subject.

"It isn't a lifeform, it's a strand of DNA. No more, no less," Alex said.

"But if we offer it a host to merge with, it could potentially be a lifeform. I know I haven't been with Time Force that long, but I didn't know we were in the business of denying life in any form the chance to exist," Adam brought up.

"We're not. Time Force has done questionable things in the past, but we're not killers," he said.

"But you're willing to destroy a part of Katie so you won't have to deal with it later," be mentioned.

"Lt. Park, I'm weighing the consequences as a whole, not from the standpoint of a boyfriend who doesn't want anything to happen to his girlfriend. If we allow this being to live, and provide it with a body, none of us will be equipped to stop a full-blooded Ethros demon. The Ethros are a powerful race of beings, but without Katie's human side to regulate it, it will have no mercy, no regret. It could rip us apart and think nothing of it," Alex explained.

"Maybe we should research ways to contain it," Tommy said.

"Containment is out the question. Katie is able to be contained because she is only half Ethros, but a full Ethros would be able to break through any level of containment we came up with," he said.

"We could use force fields with a level ten setting. Even the Harvengers weren't able to break through them, and it would certainly do the job for an Ethros," Dr. Young said.

"Okay, then what? We'll have it in a force field, but we'll have to do something with it eventually. I understand what everyone is saying, and I'm against destroying a living being, but it isn't a being yet. Sure, if we provide it with what it needs, it could be, but right now its merely DNA. Preventing this thing from running loose in Time Force is my top priority, and I can't allow that to happen. I'm sorry doctor, but this discussion is over. The DNA will be destroyed," Alex announced.

Dr. Young stood up. "No," he said calmly.

"Excuse me?"

"I am a doctor, and I swore to do no harm, and took an oath to save life in all its forms. If it is within my means to save this Ethros _and_ Katie, I am honor bound to explore those options. As the executive medical officer in Time Force, I am authorized to make that decision regardless of your opinion. I'd hoped that you would make the right decision, but I see I was wrong," he explained.

"The right decision saves lives. You're trying to save a life, which I fully understand, but weigh it against the number of causalities that will come if that Ethros escapes into the general public. I can't allow a full blooded Ethros demon to run loose through this city," Alex snapped.

"Hes right, its just too dangerous. I wish there was something more we could do, but we're out of options," Tommy agreed.

"I'm afraid the two of you misunderstood; I _am_ going to perform the procedure, with or without your approval," he said, making his way out the conference room. 

"Tommy, have a security detail assigned to the infirmary before, during and after the procedure," Alex told him.

"I'm on it," Tommy said, rushing out the room.

"Adam, go down to special projects and get your morpher. If this thing gets out, we're going to need all the help we can get to stop it," he instructed.

"Just so you know Alex, I understand what you were saying, but I hope nothing goes wrong," Adam said, walking out the room.

"So do I," he sighed.

*

Jen had gone over the information Dr. Young had given her several times. After forcing him to redo the test several times, the results were the same. At first, she was sure there was simply something wrong with the machinery, or that the doctor had misread the information, but she'd gone to several other doctors outside Time Force and they were saying the same thing…

"Twins," she sighed, putting her hand on her stomach.

Neither of them were ready to start a family, but were willing to deal with the situation when they found out she was pregnant. She'd known for a little over a week, but there were so occupied with the Chyro Tech mission, not to mention of her classes and routine work through out the building, she'd hadn't found the right to time to tell. _'One kid is hard enough, I'm going to have two?'_ she sighed inwardly.

*

Adam stepped off the turbo lift and headed down the hallway, making his way towards the infirmary. Though it had only been a few days for everyone else, for him, it had been years. Years since he'd seen _her._

When he arrived in front of the infirmary, he was stopped a group of security guards. "I'm sorry Lt. Park, we can't let you in," one of them said.

"Why not?"

"Security protocol sir, I'm sorry," the other said.

"What's going on in there?"

"I'm sorry sir, we can't discuss it. It's classified," he said.

Just then, the doors to the infirmary were knocked open, and Dr. Young slid into the hallway. Adam quickly leaned down to check on him. There was blood all over his face and in his clothes. "What happened in there doc?" he asked.

At that moment, _it_ stepped out into the hallway. At first glance, it appeared to be Katie, but there was something terribly wrong with her. She seemed much taller, and had ridges in her forehead. Her eyes were an odd shade of green, and her hair hung down, covering most of her face.

"You have to… stop it," Dr. Young sighed.

The two guards rushed at the creature, only to be swatted away. Adam stood up, standing face to face with it. "Katie, its me, Adam. What the hell is going on?" he asked, hoping to reason with her.

The creature paused for a moment, staring Adam up and down, and then let out sickening roar, swinging at Adam with a right hand. Adam caught its hand, but got caught with a kick to the stomach. As he doubled over, the creature grabbed him by the throat, lifting him up. "Adam," it groaned, getting a good look at him, then dropped him, storming down the hall.

Adam gasped for air, trying to catch his breath, then reached for his morpher. "Adam to Lucas, something happened to Katie and she's mutated into some kind of demon. She's headed down the hall on deck eight, assemble the rangers to try to cut her off," he said.

_'I'm on it Adam,'_ a voice said.

Adam slowly got back to his feet, and was about to go after it until…

"What the hell is going on?" a voice asked.

He turned around and saw _her._ "Katie?" he inquired.

~~

"KJ, can you use the sensors to track her?" Jen asked, standing behind KJ as she worked the main controls.

"Negative. The sensors are not programmed to track an Ethros. However, because she is on deck eight, it is reasonable to assume that she will either head to one of the launch bays, or perhaps the turbo lifts," she told her.

"If that thing gets loose into the city, we'll have a hard time containing it without someone getting hurt. I want you to seal off deck eight with force fields. Retune the force fields so that the morphers will allow the rangers to go through them, but keep the demon in," she instructed.

"Brilliant idea Captain," she paused. "Retuning the force fields now,"

~~

Alex rushed into the special projects lab, where Camille was standing in front of one of the workstations. "After I saw Adam, something told me you'd show up here sooner or later," she turned to him, handing him the red Chrono morpher. "Its been reset and will allow your encode your DNA into the systems data banks. You're all set," she said.

Alex quickly put the morpher on his wrist, and couldn't help but crack a smile. It seemed like so long since the last time he'd worn it, but yet, it felt as though still _belonged _to him. "Thanks Camille," he reached for his morpher. "Alex to Lt. Emery, respond," he said.

'Lt. Emery here sir,' 

"Report,"

_'Trip and I are on deck eight, section three. We're in pursuit of the creature now,'_ he told him.

"Very good. Remember, do not use deadly force. I want this thing captured alive," he ordered.

'Understood sir. Emery out,' 

"Alex to Lucas, what's your status?" he asked.

_'On deck eight, but there are no signs of the demon at all,'_ he said.

"I want everyone checking in every ten minutes. I'll meet you on deck eight in a minute," he instructed, and then rushed out the room.

*

"But how did… I mean, what did…" Katie stared at herself in the mirror, and although she couldn't find any desernable difference, she _knew_ something had changed. She somehow seemed shorter, and there was an unusual sensation running through her body. 

Through the reflection in the mirror, she saw Adam walk into the infirmary. Your Ethros DNA was rejecting the serum Dr. Young gave you for the radiation treatment, so they opted to remove the Ethros DNA from you and put it into a clone. Because of the regenerating properties of the DNA, the clone is now 100% Ethros and has the ability to heal itself almost instantly," Adam told him.

"Do you have any idea how dangerous that is? An Ethros is loose in here!" she snapped.

"I know, we're already on top of it,"

"But aren't you…"

"We'll worry about all that later. Right now, we have to stop it before it can hurt anyone," he said. 

"Damn, I wish I had my morpher," she sighed.

Adam reached in his back pocket, pulling out her morpher. "I thought you might want this when you finally woke up, so I kept it with me just in case," he said, handing it to her.

Katie quickly put in on her wrist. "Come on, let's get moving," she said.

~~

Lt. Emery and Trip peeked around the corner, where the demon was trying to break into one of the rooms. Trip nodded at Emery, and the two of charged at the demon at once. Trip landed a kick to the side of the head, forcing the demon to stumble forward. Emery was next with a sweep, taking it down. The demon hit its head against the wall, knocking it unconscious.

"Good work James," Trip said, pulling out a pair of handcuffs.

As he approached the demon, it sat up, spitting a greenish fluid in Trip's face. Trip fell to the floor, screaming in pain. 

"Alright, that's it," Emery reached for his morpher. _"TIME FOR, TIME FORCE,"_ he said, morphing into the silver ranger. He quickly called for his Chrono saber, slicing the creature across the chest.

It was enough to make the demon take a step back, but James watched on in horror as the wound on the demon's chest began to heal itself. "Oh this is just great," he sighed, quickly grabbing Trip, putting him over his shoulder, then headed down the hall.

As he stepped through the force field, the demon tried to follow, but couldn't.

"Trip, are you okay?" he asked him, trying to wipe as much of the fluid away from Trip as he could, but Trip didn't respond.

He quickly checked to see if there was a pulse, and then let out a sigh of relief when it was. "Emery to Infirmary, medical emergency on deck eight. Ranger down, I repeat, ranger down," he said.

~~

Alex made his way to deck eight, stepping through the force field, and was greeted by Lucas and Nadira. "Report," he said.

"Trip was injured and taken to the infirmary. The demon is trapped near the end of the hall, trying to break through the force field," Nadira said.

Alex reached for his morpher. "Alex to KJ, come in," he said.

_'KJ here. How may I be of service?' _she responded.

"The demon is trapped on this deck near the turbo lift in section seven, can you erect another force field to trap it in that section, then pump the entire section with enestasene gas?" he asked.

_'It will take a moment to reroute the environmental controls, but yes,'_ she said.

"Do it," he ordered.

Alex, Lucas and Nadira rushed around the corner, where the demon was still hammering away at the force field. Moments later, a second force field went up, trapping the demon inside. Smoke began to fill the section, and soon, they weren't able to see inside.

"I think it worked," Lucas sighed.

"Good. Wait five minutes, and then have KJ clear the gas out and take the demon back to the infirmary. When you get it there, restrain it with force fields until we can figure out what to do with it," Alex ordered, walking away.

*

Katie stood in the infirmary in silence, staring down at her alter ego. As a child, she was always in an inner struggle with herself to control the demon inside her, and now, she found it ironic to find herself face to face with it. There was something disconcerting about it. Part of her was glad to be rid of the demon once and for all. Although it meant she would no longer have the ability to heal herself, and her added strength was gone, she gladly welcomed the normal life that was ahead of her. 

Then again, another part of her wasn't sure if it was truly worth it. She turned her attention to Trip, who was unconscious, but in stable condition after being attacked by the demon. _'At least when it was inside me, I could control it. Now, its out of control,'_ she sighed inwardly.

Her thoughts were broken when the demon's eyes opened, and it stared up at Katie. "Help…me…" it called out.

The fact that it was able to formulate a sentence amazed her. "Do you understand me?" Katie asked it.

The creature nodded. 

"What do you want me to do?"

"Can… not… survive…" it groaned.

"I don't know what I can do to help you. Dr. Young is working on a way to contain you, but…" she was cut short as the demon reached out, grabbing Katie's hand. 

"No… only… you can… help…" it sighed.

"How? How can I help?" she asked.

"I'm afraid that there isn't anything any of us can do to help her at this point," Dr. Young said as he walked over to her. "She's dying,"

"Why?"

"Our theory was that the Ethros DNA would be able to repair any cellular damage the clone may have made, but it's having the opposite effect. The DNA is causing the cellular damage to speed up. Its only a matter of hours before…" he was cut short.

"What can I do to help?" she asked.

"Nothing. I'm afraid it's beyond my expertise. Perhaps we could put her in Cryogenic suspension until a cure can be found, but…" he was cut short.

"Put her back," she said.

"Excuse me?"

"Put the Ethros DNA back in me. It's the only way to save her," Katie said.

"I don't think you understand the severity of what you're proposing. The Ethros DNA has increased significantly since being passed to the clone, there's no telling how your body would react to _that_ much of an increase," he said.

"I don't care. Demon or not, she's a part of me, and I refuse to let her die," she said.

"If that is your decision, I won't dispute it," he said.

"Do it," she insisted.

"Alright. If you'll come with me," he said, motioning her into the next room.

*

Alex leaned back in his chair, trying not to let his emotions get the best of him. Throughout the years, he'd been able to create a comfortable distance between himself and the people he worked with, but that distance seemed to be getting smaller lately.

He'd come to respect the other rangers a great deal. They were, in essence, his family, and seeing one of them going through such a dilemma bothered him. Katie had grown into an outstanding officer… _'Hell, they all have,'_ he thought to himself. He was looking forward to being part of their team again. After being promoted to Counsel Member, he found it harder to relate to them. Suddenly, he had the weight of Time Force on his shoulders. He had an obligation to uphold the rules, regulations and protocols of Time Force, but it was too much for him.

"Counsel Member Collins," a voice said, breaking his train of thought.

He sat up in his chair as _she_ walked into his office. "Ms. Crane. What can I do for you?" he asked.

She closed the door behind her, then sat down in front of the desk. "For one, you can stop avoiding me," she said.

"What?"  
  


"I've been here for a few days now and you haven't come to see me not once. I understand you're busy, and you have a organization to run, but you could have found a few minutes to come see me," she said.

"I apologize for…"

"Don't give me that Xander. While I was locked away in that cell dangling from my wrists for four years, all I wanted was to see you again. I thought if I held on one more day, you'd find me and we could be together again," she stood up. "If you don't want to be with me, so say so and I'll…" she was cut short.

"I _do_ want to be with you," he said.

"So what's the problem?"

"I have a job to do Sierra. I'm the red ranger again, I have an obligation to…"

"No, you have an obligation to _me._ We were supposed to get married Xander, and how you treat me like a first year cadet. I love you Xander, and that was the only reason I made it for four years. I know things have changed for you, but the least you could do is come to me and tell me," she snapped.

"It hasn't changed," he paused. "I do love you, and I do what to be with you, but my first duty is to Time Force," he told her.

"Are you sure your first duty isn't to Jennifer?"

"What do you know about Jennifer?"

"The android told me everything; that the two of you were together, that you asked her to marry you, and how she left you. I know everything Xander," she said.

"It wasn't like that. There were circumstances," Alex sighed.

"So what's your excuse now? What circumstances are there? All I've ever wanted was to be with you, but I guess your feelings have changed," she said.

"That isn't it, I just…" he paused. "You've been gone a long time, and a lot has happened. Ransik escaped to the past, mutorgs tried to change history, a rogue Time Force officer tried to destroy the past and take over the future, there was a Vorhsoth invasion, Lord Zedd came back, a Harvenger invasion, and just recently, we shut down Chyro Tech. There's a lot going on, and right now, Time Force needs strong officers to help get back on its feet. Its up to me to get it done, and as much as I want to be with you, I have to things in order around here first," he explained.

She smiled slightly. "I've waited four years to be with you again Xander, I can wait a little longer," Sierra told him.

He smiled.

*

Katie opened her eyes slowly, only to see him sitting next to her. Her vision was a bit distorted, but it quickly cleared up, and she slowly sat up in the bed.

"Adam?" she sighed.

He quickly opened his eyes, sitting up in the chair. "Katie, you're awake. How do you feel?" he asked her.

She glanced over at the mirror on the opposite wall, smiling at herself with approval. "I feel like myself again," she said.

"The clone's cellular structure broke down about an hour ago. If your Ethros DNA had stayed in the clone, it would be gone too. You did the right thing," he told her.

"You know, all my life I struggled with the demon inside me, wishing that there was a way to get rid of it and live a normal life like everyone else. But, when I got my wish and the demon inside me was gone, I felt… empty, like I was less than what I was. My Ethros half is part of me, and it took losing it to truly accept it," she explained.

"I'm glad you did. The Ethros Katie was kinda creepy lookin'," he admitted.

She reached over, grabbing his hand. "I can imagine I don't look so hot right now either," she sighed.

He stood up, leaning down slightly. "No, you look just fine," he said, kissing her gently on the lips.

~~

Camille sat in her quarters alone. Seemed odd being there alone, considering that she and Trip use to live there together. All of things were still there, but for the last few weeks, Trip had been staying with Nadira and Lucas.

She'd hoped to put their differences behind them, to get back together and move on with their lives. After seeing Tommy and Jen get married, she found herself thinking about the prospect of marriage as well. _'Hell, even Adam and Katie are getting together. But me? Oh no, I'm all by myself again,'_ she sighed inwardly.

Her first thought was to call her mother, but quickly dismissed that thought. _'The last thing I need is to get into a debate about my sexual preference,'_ she thought.

Just then, the doors opened, and _he_ walked in…

"Trip? Hi," she said, trying not to sound as happy to see him as she was.

There was an awkward moment of silence as the two of them stood up, staring at one another, unsure of what to say. Without a word, Trip walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her passionately on the lips. When she backed away, he picked her up, carrying her into the bedroom and closed the door behind them.

~~

**Preview: Lost Souls**

Next time on Parallels II: Determined to prove his worth, Lt. James Emery goes on a mission to the 21st century alone, but gets more than he bargained for.

_~~_


	27. Lost Souls

**_Disclaimer: _**_Power Rangers Time Force, Power Rangers Ninja Storm and all related logos are property of Disney and/or Saban Entertainment. I am using them without permission. KJ Sheldon, Lt. James Emery, Trinity Oliver, Camille Summers, Amanda "Mandy" Scott, Mr. & Mrs. Mathew Scott, Leo Claw and the "Omega Project" are property of yours truly. Sierra Crane appears courtesy of… well, Sierra. _

_Parallels II just hit the 100 review mark!!! Thanks to each of you who take your time to review and leave your comments!!_

**_A/N: _**_This fic takes place before Cam became the GSR._

_Please take a moment to review. I live for reviews!!_

**_*_**

"I hate the midnight shift," Lt. Emery mumbled to himself as he sat in front of the control panel in the science lab.

Although most of the officers had been off duty for several hours now, he was _still_ on duty, reviewing sensor logs and monitoring the Slipstream for any signs of temporal incursions. The only other personnel on duty were the janitors and a few people in the Temporal Investigations. No one liked the midnight shift, but he knew that if he hadn't volunteered for it, he wouldn't get much time in the science lab.

_'This isn't the way it was suppose to be. I thought when I became a ranger, I'd be going on missions, doing my part to save the world,'_ he thought to himself, but he couldn't have been more wrong.

During his seven months or so as the silver ranger, he'd gone on less than a dozen missions. When there were missions, he was always overlooked when teams were put together. Tommy always seemed to pick Jen, or if Jen was in command, she always picked Katie. It was expected that either Trip or Camille would go. _'They're the smart ones, they have_ _to go,'_ he thought. Obviously, Katie was chosen because of her strength, but he was convinced that he had something useless to contribute if he was selected to go on a mission. Even now that both Tommy and Jen were no longer rangers, and Alex had resumed his role as red ranger, he was never chosen to go on missions.

_'One of these days they'll need me, and then I'll show them that…'_ his thoughts were interrupted when one of the panels began to flash. His turned his attention to it, going over the readings.

"Holy shit," he quickly reached for his Morpher to call the other rangers, but paused. _'Alex is probably sleeping. I can handle this one on my own,'_ he told himself. "Computer, pinpoint the location of the temporal incursion," he said.

_'Working,'_ the computer quickly analyzed the readings. _'Temporal incursion emanates from coordinates 60641.3,'_

"The 21st century, I should have known," he sighed to himself. "Computer, activate the Slipstream, temporal coordinates 60641.3," he said.

_'Working,'_

A few moments later, the Slipstream portal activated. The blue swirling vortex appeared, and with a look of determination on his face, Lt. Emery stood up and stepped through the portal, disappearing…

~~

The vortex opened, and as Lt. Emery stepped through, he fell to the ground. He hit the ground with a thud, and after rolling over, realized that the vortex opened about 15 feet in the air. "I gotta learn how to work the targeting sensors," he mumbled as he stood up, dusting himself off.

He quickly glanced around, trying to get an idea of exactly where he was. There were trees as far as the eye could see, and the sky was a perfect color blue without a cloud in sight. After the portal closed, he wandered through the woods, coming to what appeared to be a waterfall of some kind. _'Based on the temporal coordinates, I'd guess this is the year 2003. If I know my history, that means the Ninja Storm rangers have their powers now,'_ he thought to himself.

To avoid being detected by their scanning equipment, Lt. Emery reached for his Morpher, turning it off, slipping it into his back pocket, then headed back into the woods.

~~

Lt. Emery found himself in front of a store of some kind. "Storm Chargers," he said to himself with a chuckle, recalling that several of the Ninja Storm rangers worked in the store. He headed inside, where a young woman with redish-blonde hair greeted him.

"Hey, can I help you?" she asked him.

Trying to be as inconspicuous as he could, he glanced down at her wrist, only to discover she wasn't wearing a Morpher. "Um, yeah. Do you have an ATM machine here?" he replied.

"Yeah, its in the back," she paused. "A remember a few people wearing the same uniform you have on coming in here not too long ago. Are you in the armed forces?" she inquired.

"You could say that," he said as politely as he could, heading towards the ATM machine. 

He made it to the machine, first making sure there was no one around, and then reached for his Morpher. He passed it over a sensor on the front of the machine, then inputting a series of numbers. Moments later, a light flashed, and the slot opened. Lt. Emery quickly reached for the money, stuffing it in his pocket, then headed back to the front of the store.

"You think you could show me something in silver?" he asked, walking towards the woman that helped him earlier.

Without answering, she turned her head. "Dustin, can you come out here please?" she called out.

Before he could say anything, _he_ walked out the back room. "Yeah what's up Kelly?"

"Could you show this young man something in silver? I have to finish the inventory in the back," she said.

"Sure, no problem," as Kelly walked away, Dustin walked towards him. "So, silver huh?" he inquired.

"Its my favorite color,"

"Come with me,"

~~

"There it is again dad," Cam said, going over the readings on his computer in Ninja Opts. "An energy reading not too far from the entrance to Ninja Opts. It's the same configuration that we detected about a week ago,"

"Contact Shane and the others, have them investigate,"

"No dad, I can do it this time," he said.

"No Cam, you should leave this investigation to the rangers. If there is a serious thread, I'm afraid the rangers will be needed for this," 

"Dad, I can handle it," he said.

"I insist Cam, contact the rangers,"

*

The door opened, and Camille walked in, quickly heading to her workstation. She found it ironic that it was the same workstation where she and Leo developed the schematics for the Omega morpher so many years ago.

She remembered the long hours she use to put in with him, working on the project with him. She recalled how they did their best to keep it a secret, and for months they did. It wasn't until Time Force found out about it that both of them were put under investigation. Instead of both of them being released for it, she chose to take the blame herself. She figured it was the best way to ensure that Leo would be able to continue working on the project in secret.

Months later, she was rehired into Time Force and was put to work on the Slipstream Project. She never forgot about the work she and Leo did, but as things began to develop between she and Trip, not to mention Time Force seeing fit to make her a ranger, she simply didn't have the time to continue her work with Leo. 

Her thoughts were broken as Lt. Montgomery walked over to her. "Good morning Ms. Summers. You're up pretty late. No one usually comes down to special projects during the graveyard shift," he mentioned, passing her by as he continued his work.

"I know, I just have a few tests I need to run on the morpher," she said.

"Well, I'm just wrapping up. I'll get out of your way," he said.

"So," she paused. "What have you guys been down here working on?" Camille asked him.

"Actually, Ensign Clark and I have come up with an excellent new concept. You know how the memory adaptation process erases long term memories of officers who go on classified missions?" he walked over to a small box on the table, opening it and pulled out a small device. "Normally, the theta waves generated by the memory adaptation modules can cause serious brain damage under prolonged exposure, but with this, we can erase short term memories without the risk of any damage," he explained.

"Kinda like Men in Black?"

"Like what?"

"You know, the movie. It's from the 21st century. Men in Black. They had the flashy things," she said.

"I think these are a little more complex than _flashy things_, but I suppose the same principles apply. Right now, its still in the testing phase. It'll take a few more tests before we present this to Counsel Member Collins," he said.

"I'd be happy to take one out in the field and test it," she paused. "If you want,"

"Really?" he asked eagerly.

"Yeah, sure. I'm pretty sure we could find a good use for one of those down in the Slipstream division," she said.

"That would be great," he handed her the device. "Remember, its still in the testing phase, but try to keep a log of its effectiveness. Just get it back to me as soon as you can," he said. "Well, goodnight Ms. Summers," he said, walking out the room.

*

"So, what do you think?" Lt. Emery asked, staring at himself in front of a mirror.

He had on a pair of black jean shorts, a silver colored t-shirt and a black button down shirt, which he left open. To top it off, he had on a pair of mirror colored sunglasses. _'I see why Alex likes these so much,'_ he thought to himself.

"Dude, you look… kinda shiny," Dustin told him.

"Well, I like it," he said proudly.

Just then, there was a beep of some sort. Lt. Emery tried not to look as though he was staring as Dustin glanced down at a Morpher on his wrist. "Dude, I have to go, but if you go to the front counter Kelly can take care of you from here," he said, rushing away.

Lt. Emery glanced around, making sure that there was no one around, then pulled the Morpher out his pocket, putting it back on his wrist and activated his cloaking device. Without a thought, he followed behind Dustin.

*

He stopped in front of the door, placing his hand on the panel. "Recognized Park, Adam Lt," he said.

_'Scan accepted. Welcome Adam,'_ the computer acknowledged as the doors to the science lab slid open. 

He headed into the lab, sitting down at the main control panel. Before he could do anything, he found a half empty cup of coffee sitting on the table. _'Its still warm. Someone has been here recently,'_ he thought to himself as he touched picked up the cup.

He'd come down to the science lab to get some research done, and hoped that no one would bother him on the midnight shift. _'If Alex knew what I was up to, he'd bump me down to Ensign and have me checking parking meters for the rest of my life,'_ he thought. Although everything went smoothly in the past, and his clone had taken his place in the hospital, he wondered what the history logs had to say about it.

"Computer, display history logs between the years of 1998 and 2000," he said.

_'Desired location?'_ it asked.

"Angel Grove," he said.

_'Working,'_ the computer answered.

Moments later, the information flashed across the screen, and Adam began to read over it. _'He was right, it does say that I died in the hospital one month after being there. According to this, Tanya accepted my death and went on to work for Z-Tech. She married Theodore Johnson, and had a son, Theo,' _he read.

His thoughts were broken as the doors to the science lab opened, and _she_ walked in. "Good evening," Nadira said cheerfully, heading over to the control panel.

"Hey Nadira," he quickly deleted the information from the screen. "What are you doing here so early? I thought your duty shift didn't start for another three hours," he brought up.

"It doesn't, but with Tommy gone and Jen teaching at the academy now, I volunteered to come in and review the sensor logs, then file the report," she said.

"I thought James was on the night shift tonight," he brought up.

"How long have you been here?"

"About an hour. I just couldn't sleep, so I thought I'd come down here and get some work done," he told her, hoping she wouldn't pry.

Nadira reached for her Morpher. "Nadira to Lt. Emery, come in," she said.

There was no response.

This time, Adam reached for his Morpher. "Lt. Park to James Emery, respond," he said.

Again, no response.

Nadira turned to the control panels. "Computer, what is the location of Lt. James Emery?" she asked.

_'Lt. Emery is not in the building,'_ the computer answered.

"When did he leave the building?"

_'0236 hours,'_ the computer said.

"Where the hell did he go?" Adam asked.

Nadira glanced over the controls again. "Oh my God," she sighed.

"What?"

"The computer detected a temporal incursion at 0130 hours. The slipstream was activated, and one person went through," she said.

"You think Emery went on a mission by himself?"

"According to this, he's in the 21st century," she paused. "The year 2003 to be exact. Blue Bay Harbor, California,"

"The Ninja Storm rangers?"

"Do you have any idea what the incursion is?" he asked.

"If James had bothered to do a little research, he'd know that an illegal time hole was opened on the outskirts of Blue Bay Harbor. The source of the time hole originated _here_, in the 31st century," she said.

"So who opened a time hole?"

"From the looks of it, they used a pretty low tech teleportation system. If I had to guess, I'd say it was…"

"Chyro Tech," he groaned.

"But that isn't possible, we shut Chyro Tech down. All their technology was destroyed," she mentioned.

"Well, someone had access to a time hole," Adam said.

"Should I contact Alex and the others?"

He shook his head. "No, there's no need to bring them into this," he glanced up at the clock. "Contact Lucas, see if…" he was cut short as _he _walked in the room.

"See if he'd be willing to get out his nice, warm bed and go save the world again, right?" Lucas asked as he walked over to them.

"Something like that,"

"Hey, I'm always up for some good old fashioned hero shit," he told him.

"Nadira, I want you to stay here go through Chyro Tech computer files we downloaded from them. Find out if anyone stole some of their technology within the last few weeks, who would want to travel back to the 21st century and why. Get Trip in here if you have to, then check in and tell me what we need to know. Lucas, the two of us have work to do," Adam said.

Nadira turned back to the controls, activating the Slipstream. "I'll give you a call the second I know something," she said. 

Lucas nodded, then stepped into the blue swirling vortex. Adam winked at Nadira, and then followed Lucas through.

~~

Preview: Lost Souls pt 2 

Next time on Parallels II: Adam must come up with a plan to prevent Lord Zedd from joining forces with Lothor in an attempt to resurrect Rita Repulsa.

_~~_


	28. Lost Souls pt II

**_Disclaimer: _**_Power Rangers Time Force, Power Rangers Ninja Storm and all related logos are property of Disney and/or Saban Entertainment. I am using them without permission. KJ Sheldon, Lt. James Emery, Trinity Oliver, Camille Summers, Amanda "Mandy" Scott, Mr. & Mrs. Mathew Scott, Leo Claw and the "Omega Project" are property of yours truly. Sierra Crane appears courtesy of… well, Sierra. _

_The format on ff.net is still shitty, but I hope it doesn't make this hard to read. Please take a moment to review. I live for reviews!!_

**_A/N: _**_This fic takes place before Cam became the GSR._

****

**_* Blue Bay Harbor 2003 *_**

"I don't see anything. Maybe Cam's equipment might be acting up again," Dustin said as the three of them walked along the beach, looking for signs of anything unusual.

"Cam is _never_ wrong, if he says something is out here, there is," Tori assured him.

However, Shane wasn't completely convinced. The three of them had been patrolling the same spot for a little over twenty minutes, and even though there were no signs of trouble, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched.

He glanced behind him, but no one was there. He was ready to dismiss it as paranoia, but he looked down and noticed there was an extra pair of footprints in the sand. Without saying a word, he motioned for Tori and Dustin to turn around. Each of them looked down, and with a look of caution on their faces, stopped dead in their tracks.

For a moment, there was silence. Shane nodded slightly at Dustin, who tacitly agreed. Then, without warning, the two of them tackled… something. Even though neither of them could see a thing, they both _felt_ something as he wrestled it to the ground.

"Oh great, now Lothor is throwing invisible aliens at us," Tori groaned.

"No wait, I'm not an alien," they heard a voice say. Seconds later, _he_ materialized on the ground. Shane and Dustin got up, staring at him in amazement.

"Hey, I know you. You're that dude from Storm Chargers," Dustin said.

"So what's your deal?" Shane snapped.

The stranger let out a sigh of frustration. "I'm going to tell you something, but it may be difficult for you to believe," he took a deep breath. "My name is Lt. James Emery, I'm a Power Ranger," he said.

"I don't remember _you_ at the ninja academy," Tori said.

"That's because I'm not from the academy, I'm from the future," he said.

"Dude, you expect us to believe that?"

"It's the truth,"

"So how'd you get here?" Shane asked him.

"Through one of those," Lt. Emery said, pointing upwards.

The three of them glanced up only to see a vortex of some kind appear in the sky. Before any of them could make a move, two figures came through the vortex, falling to the ground.

"Whoa," Dustin sighed.

It was James who walked over to them. "Adam, Lucas, what are the two of you doing here?" he asked him.

"We came to get you. Do you have any idea how much trouble you're in?" Adam snapped.

"I can handle it Adam, this is_ my_ mission,"

"Does _our_ mission include blowing your cover and altering the time line? If so, you're just about done here," Lucas snapped.

"You mean you guys really _are_ from the future?" Shane asked.

Adam turned to James. "You told them?"

"I had to,"

Just then, Shane's Morpher beeped. It quickly reached for it. "Go for Shane," he said.

_'Shane, I'm picking up electromagnetic energy from your location. What's going on? Is everything okay?'_ a voice asked.

"Let me get back to you in a minute," he said. "Okay, someone better tell me exactly what's going on around here," he said firmly.

Lt. Emery opened his mouth, but before he could say a word, Adam cut him short. "We're here investigating a temporal incursion. Its nothing that concerns you," he told them.

At that moment, a figure emerged from the water. It was obviously humanoid, but seemed to have no skin at all. He wore a silver helmet of some kind, and armor over parts of his body.

"Now _that's_ an alien," Tori said.

"No, its Lord Zedd," Lucas sighed.

"Lord who?" Dustin asked in confusion.

"Lord Zedd," he said as he approached them, aiming his staff and blasting Dustin in the chest.

It was enough to knock Dustin half way across the beach, leaving him motionless on the ground. Tori quickly hurried over to him to check on him.

"I don't know you are, but it won't matter in a minute," Shane said, reaching for his Morpher. _"NINJA STORM, RANGER FORM,"_ he called out, transforming into the red ranger.

"You heard the man," Lucas said, reaching for his Morpher as well. _"TIME FOR, TIME FORCE," _he screamed as his clothes were replaced by his ranger uniform.

Lucas and Shane charged at Lord Zedd, but he was able to block every punch and kick they threw at him. Finally, he swung his staff, hitting Lucas in the chest, knocking him to the ground. He cocked back, ready to finish him off, but it was Adam who grabbed the staff, spinning around and kicking Lord Zedd in the chest. It forced him to let go of the staff, and while he was distracted, it was James who rushed at Zedd with a kick to the face, taking him down.

Lord Zedd was right back on his feet, connecting with a left hand on Adam, snatching back his staff. Shane was back up, but Lord Zedd used the staff to pull his legs from under him, taking Shane back down.

_"BLACK RANGER CHRONO ARMOR," _Adam called out, transforming into the black ranger. He extended his arms, and the golden blades came out his forearms. 

Lord Zedd swung the staff again, but Adam caught it, and then used the blades to break Zedd's staff in half. As it fell to the ground, Lord Zedd grabbed Adam's blade, snatching them off, then gave him an upper cut.

"You rangers are pathetic in any time period," he groaned, disappearing into a stream of light.

Lucas hurried over to Tori, helping her pull Dustin back to his feet.

"Who was that guy?" Tori asked.

_'Whoever it was, he was in the water for a reason. He was after the gem of lost souls,'_ a voice said.

Shane reached for his Morpher. "You mean that skinless guy has the gem?" he asked.

'I'm afraid so,' 

"If I remember correctly, the gem itself doesn't hold much power. The only thing it could be used for was to…" he paused, allowing his sentence to trail off. "I know where he's going," he said.

"Where?"

"We wants to talk to his wife," Lucas sighed.

~~

"So let me see if I got this right: Lord Zedd and his wife were on another planet when a wave of energy hit, destroying all the evil in the galaxy. He and his wife were changed into humans, but Zedd wanted to become evil again so he wouldn't feel useless and weak. Now he wants to use the Gem of Lost Souls to talk to his wife?" Tori asked as they all walked along the beach.

"That's pretty much it," Adam said.

"I think its kinda romantic… in a demented sort of way," she sighed.

"But what does he hope to accomplish here? Talking to her won't bring her back," Shane mentioned.

"You'd be surprised the kind of power Lord Zedd has," Lucas said.

_'You guys don't know the half of it,'_ a voice said.

"What do you know Dira?" Lt. Emery asked, reaching for his Morpher.

_'Trip and I went over all the files we got from Chyro Tech, the information I found let us in on Zedd's plan. He's been traveling the galaxy in search of the Sphere of Omara,'_ she said.

"But the Sphere was destroyed during the Harvenger invasion," he brought up.

_'True, but apparently he got his hands on one. I contacted the Omarians, and they said there was in fact another Sphere, but it was stolen a millennia ago by a creature named Lothor,'_ she said.

"Wait a sec. Lothor has the sphere?" Dustin asked.

"What does the sphere do?"

"It can bring people who were wrongfully killed back to life," James them told.

"He's going to bring back Rita," he sighed.

"We have to stop him. If Lothor and Lord Zedd were to join forces, no one would be safe. Together, they'd bring back Rita, and the entire universe would be doomed," he said.

"So what do we do?" Tori asked them.

"I have a plan," Adam said with a sinister smile on his face.

*

Zurgane rushed onto the bridge of the ship, standing in front of Lothor, who was sitting on his thrown. "Sir, we have reports of a disturbance near the edge of the city, in the woods," he informed him.

"What are those rangers up to this time?" he groaned.

"According to reports, the rangers are on hand, but they're trying to prevent the disturbance," he told him.

"Well anything the rangers and that pesky rodent want to stop is good for me. Get down there and find out what's going on," he said.

"Yes sir," he paused. "Should I take the Kelzaks?"

"Ya think?"

"I think that would be best, sir," Zurgane said.

"Get it done Zurgane," Lothor told him.

"At once sir,"

**_* Time Force 3002 AD *_**

Camille and Trip sat at the control panels in the science lab, simply watching the monitor with a look of concern on their faces.

"If this keeps up, the time line is going to seriously shift, and there's no telling how it will effect future history," Camille brought up.

"So what do we do? Go back and stop them? I think the damage has been done. When Emery's cover was blown, the Ninja Storm rangers were given information about the future that they shouldn't have had. Any other incursions like that and it will do more harm than good," Trip explained.

Camille paused. "When does Alex's shift start?" she asked.

"Not for another two hours, why?"

"Good, that means I have time," she turned to the controls again, inputting a series of codes. "If I'm not back in an hour, wake Alex up and tell him what's going on," she said.

"Where are you going?" Before she could answer, the slipstream portal activated. "You're not thinking of going back, it'll make things worse," he said.

"Trust me on this," she said, stepping through the portal.

He watched with concern as the portal closed.

**_* Blue Bay Harbor 2003 *_**

"There it is again dad, another disturbance," Cam said, sitting in front of his computer in Ninja ops. 

"Apparently this is more serious than I originally thought. Its time to contact the Thunder Rangers and inform them of the situation," his father told him.

"But dad, I…"

"No son, whatever is happening, the rangers will need you here to coordinate their efforts," he said.

~~

"So what's the plan? Stop Zedd before he can hook up with Lothor and get the sphere thingy?" Tori asked them as they made their way through the forest.

"If Zedd is on his way to the cave, that means he already has the sphere," Lucas mentioned.

"So they've already hooked up?" Shane asked.

"I don't think so. If that were true, they'd be down here in full force already. I think Lothor had the sphere in his possession, but didn't know what it was. It wouldn't have taken much for Lord Zedd to get his hands on the sphere without Lothor knowing about it, then coming here," he said.

"What happened to Zedd's wife in the first place? And why is he so eager to bring her back?" Shane inquired.

"A few years ago, your time, Lord Zedd and his wife Rita were involved in an intergalactic invasion. Under their leader, Dark Spector, they'd taken over most of the known universe. The rangers of that era, the Astro rangers, shattered Zordon's energy tube, which sent out a wave that wiped out all the evil in the universe, reverting Zedd and Rita back to their human forms. They lived on a distant planet in peace, but when the natives realized who they were, they plotted against Zedd and Rita, murdering Rita in the process. Zedd was able to escaped, where he roamed the universe, blaming himself for not being able to save his wife. Almost 1000 years later, Lord Zedd was able to get his hands on an interdimensional portal, assembling the most notorious villains in history. After draining their life energy, he used it to create another wave, a wave of evil, which reverted him back to his evil form," Emery explained to them.

"Sounds like a twisted sci fi soap opera," Dustin mentioned.

"Zedd must have heard about the legend of the gems, and plans on going to the cave to contact his wife, then use the sphere of Omara to bring her back to life," Tori said.

"But we have to stop them before that happens. If Rita is brought back, the two of them will bring down a form of evil unrivaled to anything the universe has ever seen," Lucas added.

"Okay, we get it. Zedd plus Rita equals bad. The question is, how do we stop them?" Shane asked them.

"We have to destroy the sphere. Because there were only two known to exist, Zedd will never be able to bring her back," Lucas said.

Just then, Zurgane materialized in front of them, along with a group of Kelzaks. All of them stopped dead in their tracks.

"Who's that guy?" Emery asked.

"General Zurgane," Shane turned to Lucas. "You and Emery get out of here, we'll handle these guys," he told him.

"You sure?"

"Positive. You have to stop Zedd before its too late," he said.

With a nod, Lucas and Emery headed off in opposite directions, tacitly agreeing to reunite at the caves. 

"You ready guys?" Shane asked. Each of them nodded in agreement. _"NINJA STORM, RANGER FORM,"_ they called out in unison, transforming into rangers.

"Kelzaks, go after the two others, I'll deal with the rangers," Zurgane ordered.

The Kelzaks split into two groups, going after Lucas and Emery. The red ranger rushed at Zurgane with his sword in hand, but Zurgane put his arms up to block, and then kicked him in the stomach. The blue and yellow rangers charged in next with a double kick, making Zurgane stumble back. The red ranger was back on his feet, and the three of them quickly combined their weapons.

"It's the end of the road Zurgane!" the blue ranger told him, firing their weapon.

Before the weapon could connect, Zurgane disappeared in a stream of light.

"So much for that," the yellow ranger said proudly.

~~

James raced through the forests, doing his best to make it to the caves with Kelzaks following closely behind him. Finally, he got tired of running, stopping dead in his tracks and faced them. "Four against one, this hardly seems fair," he said, motioning for them to attack.

Two of the Kelzaks raced at him, but Emery picked up a branch, using it to swat the two of them down. The remaining two came after him, but he tossed the branch to them, and as they caught, he hit a sabat kick onto the branch, knocking them over. The first two were back up, grabbing Emery's arms, but he used a nearby tree for leverage, doing a back flip, then gave both of a Kelzaks a sweep. With them out the way, he continued on his way to the cave.

~~

In the distance, Lucas could see a clearing up ahead, and from the looks of it, it was the cave. As he hurried over to it, he was ambushed by a group of Kelzaks, all of them tackling him to the ground. He managed to get to one knee, blocking a chop, and then grabbed the Kelzak's arm, flipping him over, sending him crashing into another two. The remaining Kelsak landed a kick to Lucas' wrist, knocking his morpher off his arm. As Lucas got back to his feet, he found himself surrounded by Kelzaks. He backed up slowly, ending up against a tree as the Kelzaks got closer.

Just then, two of them Kelzaks fell forward, hitting the ground. The remaining two turned around, only to get be kicked in the side of the head. As they fell over, Lucas saw _her._

"I swear, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you didn't want your morpher back," Camille said, handing his morpher to him.

"What are you doing here Cammy?"

"Trying to stop the shifts in the timeline before its too late. I take it Zedd hasn't been able to bring Rita back yet," she said.

"He should be in the cave now, that's where I was headed when they things attacked me,"

"Come on, let's finish this,"

*

Zurgane returned to the ship, kneeling down in front of Lothor. "Sir, we were unable to determine why the rangers were in the park, but they seemed to be protecting two humans," he told him.

Lothor stood up. "I should have known better; never send a general to do an evil alien's work," he scoffed.

"Sir, you intend to go to the planet yourself?" he asked.

"Get me a monster too, this time the rangers won't stand a chance," he said.

*

Lucas, Emery and Camille cautiously entered the cave, unsure of what to expect. There was a long tunnel, and the three of them slowly made their way into the cavern. As they got closed, they were able to hear chanting of some kind. Finally, as they came to the end of the tunnel, Lord Zedd was kneeling in front of the sphere of Omara chanting, and had each of them gems positioned around the sphere in a circle.

"End of the road Zedd," Lucas told him.

Without turning around, Zedd reached back, emitting an energy beam that knocked Lucas up against the side of the cave. Emery wanted to make a move, but Camille grabbed his arm, holding him back.

"We know what you're trying to do here Zedd, but it won't work. The sphere will only restore the life of someone who was wrongfully killed," Camille told him. "Trust me, I know a thing or two about it,"

"You think it was right the way they killed my wife in cold blood? We had changed, we weren't evil anymore, and they judged us by our past actions, using them as an excuse to exact revenge on her. The sphere _will_ work," he snapped.

"So that's there that thing is, I've been looking all over for my sphere," a voice said.

They turned around as _he_ walked into the cave.

"Lothor," Emery sighed.

That prompted Lord Zedd to stand up, turn around and face him. "You're still up to your old tricks, aren't you Kanoi?" he asked.

"I could say the same about you. It's a tragic love story really, all of this over a girl? Really Dez, you should find something a little less melodramatic," he suggested.

Camille stepped forward. "You two know each other?" she asked.

"When I was banished from Earth years ago, I found my way to a planet called Triforia. It was there that I met Dez, who helped me harness the dark power of the ninja. It was with his help that I was able to create my evil empire and return to Earth," Lothor said.

"Geez Zedd, you get around, don't you?"

"I was different then Kanoi, hell bent on revenge. Things are different now, I've been places and done things you cannot imagine, and now, I'm here to be reunited with my wife," he told him.

"By stealing from me? I don't think so old friend,"

Before Lothor could make a move, Zedd picked up his staff and swung at him. Lothor caught the staff in one hand, and then shot a beam of energy from his hand, hitting Zedd in the chest. It was enough to knock him against the cave wall, but as Lothor moved in to finish him off, Zedd shot a beam of energy, hitting Lothor in the face. It sent him to the ground, and as Zedd got back to his feet, he kicked Lothor in the side of the head, sending him down on his back.

"I made you what you are, and this is how you repay me? By betrayal? Nothing will stand in my way of being reunited with my wife, and if I have to destroy you to do it, so be it," he said, picking up his staff and standing over Lothor, ready to stab him in the chest. The end of the staff was inches away from Lothor when Zedd realized… 

"Oh no, the spear," he dropped the staff, turning to the sphere, which had been crushed.

Lothor got back to his feet. "I could destroy you here and now, but I'd rather you live knowing that your wife can never come back. All your years of work and sacrifice leading to this moment were all for nothing," he told him, walking away.

Zedd kneeled over the sphere in disbelief, picking up what was left of it. "All for nothing," he sighed.

"Come on guys, let's get out of here," Camille sighed.

~~

The three of them made their way back to the clearing outside the cave, where Shane and the others were battling a monster. 

"We should help them," Emery said.

Lucas shook his head. "No, looks like they've got all the help they need," he said, pointing towards the Thunder rangers joining the fight.

"Blake and Hunter, right?" Camille asked.

"Yeah, that's them,"

"Where is the Green Samurai Ranger?" she asked.

"At this point in time, I don't think he has his powers yet. You know how sixth rangers are, always last to join the group," Lucas said.

"Funny how after 1000 years of evolution, some things stay the same," she said.

The three of them watched on as all five rangers combined their weapons, firing at the monster. One shot was all it took to destroy it. When the battle was over, the three of them headed over to the rangers as the powered down.

"Great job guys," Emery said.

"Who are they?" Hunter asked, injecting himself in the conversation.

"They're rangers, from the future," Dustin told them.

"We need to talk to you about that. Its imperative that none of you ever discuss what happened here today with anyone. If you do, future history could be altered," Lucas said.

"You have our word," Shane said, speaking for the group.

"Sorry guys, but I'm afraid that isn't good enough. The time line is already beginning to shift, and we have to ensure that the contamination of the time line stops here," Camille pulled a small device out her pocket. "All of you take a look at this," as the five of them gathered around, it emitted a flash of light. "None of you will remember any of this. The disturbance you detected was simply Lothor up to one of his tricks again, but you were able to stop him before he could carry out his plan," she told them.

"What did you do to them?" Lucas asked.

"It's a short term memory adaptation unit. The flash sends neural impulses to the brain, allowing their memories to be erased and new memories implanted due to suggestion," she said.

"It's a flashy thing from Men in Black, isn't it?" Emery asked.

"Something like that, lets get outta here,"

**_* Time Force 3002 *_**

The slipstream portal activated, and the three of them stepped through.

"Whoa, that was interesting," Emery said as the portal closed.

Trip hurried over to them. "I don't know how you did it, but the shifts in the time line seemed to have corrected itself," he told them.

"Good," he turned to Emery. "If Alex finds out what you did, you'd be off the slipstream project in a heartbeat. You know that, right?" Lucas asked.

"I know," he sighed.

"Which is why we won't say anything to him," he said.

"Really? But why? Why would you do that for me?" he asked.

"We're a team here James, and we have to work together. Running off on missions alone will get you killed, fast," Camille said.

"But I never get chosen for missions, never. Carmen told me once that I was destined to be a great leader, one of the most decorated officers in Time Force history, but I'll never get the chance to fulfill my destiny if I'm stuck on the midnight shift all the time," he said.

"I'll talk to Alex when he gets here, and let him know that you should put on more missions, but you have to promise not play superhero like that again," she said, extending her hand to him.

"Deal," he said, obliging her.

~~

Preview: Tempting fate 

Next time on Parallels II: A ranger goes back in time to prevent an event that eventually leads to the destruction of the power rangers, but also leaves them with a fear of what's to come.

_~~_


	29. Tempting Fate

**_Disclaimer: _**_Power Rangers Time Force and all related logos are property of Disney and/or Saban Entertainment. I am using them without permission. KJ Sheldon, Lt. James Emery, Trinity Oliver, A.I.S.H.A., Admiral Summers, Camille Summers, Leo Claw and the "Omega Project" are property of yours truly. Sierra appears courtesy of… well, Sierra. _

_FF.net is screwing up with posting reviews and author alerts, but that should be taken care of in the next few days. Until then, don't let it discourage you from taking a few minutes to leave a review. I live for reviews!!_

**_* Silver Hills, California  3023 AD *_**

It had become a tradition for him.

He'd been coming to the same spot for exactly twenty years, paying his respects. Katie always came with him, though this year, it was simply too much for her. They usually stood there together, hand in hand, and stood silently. They were always silence. Neither of them felt there were words to do their emotions any justice, to properly express just how much they missed him.

But this year was different…

This year, everything had changed. Katie had finally come to the point where she was ready to move on with her life, to start over again. It took her twenty years, but she finally decided not to let this one tragedy consume her entire life. He'd tried, over the years, to comfort her, but it went without saying that his efforts weren't enough. She never said a word, never complained, but he could tell that things, from that moment on, were different. He could see it in her eyes, hear it in her voice, feel it in her touch. Things were different. She was different. Both of them had changed, and he didn't like what they'd become.

After the first few years, he was able to put it behind him, but after another ten years of watching her grieve, he began to resent her. Instead of living her life, she was living in the past, regretting that one incident that sent their lives into a downward spiral.

It was cold, a little colder than usual. The weatherman had predicted several inches of snow, but it was closer to a foot of snow on the ground with no signs of it ending. Still, he stood there, knowing there wasn't anywhere else he'd rather be.

He recalled going to Alex shortly after it happened, asking for permission to go back in time, to change things. To make it right. _'You can't tamper with destiny. Everything happens for a reason,'_ was his reply. Deep down, he knew Alex was right, but it didn't make the pain easier to bare. In fact, all it did was drive a wedge between he and Alex, even Katie grew to resent him for refusing their request.

It was an unnecessary rivalry, and he wished he'd had the opportunity to resolve their problems before Alex died a few months later.  

"It wasn't suppose to be this way," he cried, breaking a twenty-year silence. "Things were suppose to be much different, and I intend to make sure that things go smoothly," he sighed. He leaned down, wiping the snow away from the tombstone. Over the years, some of the letters had gotten chipped, and the weather had taken its toll on it, but the tombstone itself was still in place. "I'll make this right, I swear," he vowed. 

He rolled up his sleeve, revealing a metal plate over his forearm. It was very thin, but covered his entire arm, and had a series of controls along the side. _"PLATINUM RANGER, CHRONO ARMOR," _he called out, transforming into the platinum ranger. Next, he input a sequence of codes into the Morpher, and in an instant, disappeared…

**_* Time Force Headquarters 3002 AD *_**

It had taken her longer than she expected, but it was finally done. She stared down at her creation, admiring the design. It was much more slender than the original design, covering most of her forearm. The second one was identical to the first, covering the opposite forearm. There was circuitry running along each of them, and two small sensor inputs.

The power source was unlike anything she'd ever seen before, virtually unlimited. Each one had a regenerating power core, allowing it become more power the more it was used. The interdimentional rift used for storage of weapons and circuitry was much bigger than anything Time Force had ever been able to design, and though the new design would be able protect the user from shifts in the time line, it emitted almost no radiation at all. It was truly a work of art. _'I only wish Leo could have been here to see it,'_ she thought to herself.

"Ms. Summers, report," Alex said, walking into the lab.

She turned to him, revealing the morphers on her arms. "It's done. It's finally done," she said eagerly.

"Nice motif, but what makes this morpher different from the standard issue Chrono morpher?" he inquired.

"For one, it has a phased cloak, similar to the clock in Adam's Chrono armor. It also has a built in deflector shield, which can be activated and will maintain breathable oxygen indefinitely. It also has been equipped with an independent slipstream unit, allowing the wearer to access the slipstream in our lab and activate the portal at will. The capacity for vehicles and weapons has been almost tripled, allowing the user to store almost _anything_ inside indefinitely," she explained.

"You have outdone yourself this time Ms. Summers," he said proudly, extending his hand to her.

"Don't send me flowers yet, we have a problem," she said.

"What is it?"

"Because it has three independent morphing pods and interlocking sequencer, it takes a tremendous amount of power to activate. Right now, there is nothing in the lab, or anywhere else in Time Force, that can activate the morpher,"

"What about the files we got from Chyro Tech? Maybe we could combine energies from…" he was cut short.

"I've already gone through all the files from Chyro Tech looking for a capable source of energy, but nothing seems to work. Right now, I have Ensign Clark running a search for capable sources of energy in the galaxy, hoping that one of the worlds will have what we need," she said.

"How long will that take?"

"I have good news and bad news. The good news is, a few months ago KJ was able to increase the efficiency of the long range communications array almost 50%, which will allow us to contact other galaxies as well, but the bad news is it'll take that much longer because of the increase. If you're looking for a timetable, it could be any minute now, or it could be a month from now. There's no real way to be sure," Camille told him.

"I have every confidence that you'll be able to complete the project, but the question is, once you find the energy we need, how will we retrieve it?"

"I knew you'd ask that. I've had Ensigns Clark and Montgomery working on a schematic for a ship Leo and I designed back in the academy. It should be complete in a matter of days, and when we find the power source, we'll be able to pick it up ourselves," she said.

"You know, you never cease to amaze me Camille," Alex sighed.

"I'll keep you updated on the situation, it should only be a matter of time," she said.

"Good work Ms. Summers," he glanced down at his morpher, realizing the time. "I have a meeting to get to. I'm expecting a full report on my desk by the end of the day," he said, making his way out the lab.

*

She leaned up against the wall, peeking around the corner. At first glance, there was no one there, and she quickly headed down the corridor. After making it down to the end of the hall, she stopped at the last door, inputting a code. Within moments, the doors slid open, and she walked in.

Just as she'd hoped, there was no one there, and she hurried over to the controls. "Computer, are the modifications to the long-range sensor array on line?" she inquired.

_'Affirmative,' _it announced.

"Initiate the sensor array and scan the follow coordinates," she instructed, inputting a series of numbers. "Set the array for continuous scan,"

'Working' 

It had been bugging her for months, the nagging feeling that there was something she was suppose to do, somewhere she was suppose to be. After being exposed to Thorolon radiation a few months ago, then having that dream about being a coma for twenty years, she'd been obsessed with finding out what was in the Fikus sector. She couldn't explain it; there were no words to describe the feeling over need that washed over her. Suddenly, it wasn't enough to wonder what was going on, it was a _need_. She _needed_ to know if there was something, _anything_ remotely significant in that sector. _'Maybe someone is trying to tell me something, something important,'_ she thought to herself. KJ had been nice enough to enhance the sensor array, extending them further into the galaxy, and she was hoping that it would extend to the Fikus sector.

_'Scan complete,'_ the computer announced.

"Is there any life in the Fikus sector?" she asked.

_'Affirmative. There is life on the second moon of the fourth planet,'_

"Human life?"

_'Race of species is unknown. There is no record of this species in the data base,'_ the computer told her.

"If I were to take a shuttle, how long would it take to get to the Fikus sector?" she inquired.

'Interstellar travel to the Fikus sector is not advised,' 

"Why?"

_'Scans show intense radiation in that sector. If that radiation came into contact with the power core of a standard issue shuttle craft would result in an infectious virus that would contaminate any living organism,' _the computer explained.

_'In my dream, Tommy said when Jen went to the Fikus sector; she was infected by a plague. Could it be that by going there, she caused the plague herself?'_ she wondered.

"Would there be a way to modify a shuttle to filer out the radiation?" Katie asked.

"Ya know, it just might be," she heard a voice say. Katie quickly turned around, only to see Camille standing on the doorway. "If you're going to access the long ranger sensor array without authorization, heres a hint: lock the door," she told her.

"How'd you know I was here?"

"The computer said there was a security breach in the communications room, and when I ran a sensor sweep, I found out it was you,"

"Is Alex on his way down here to tell me how I screwed up?"

"If he wasn't in a meeting, he would have been. I erased the logs and came down here myself," she paused. "Look, I know what you're trying to do here, I know about the dreams you had when you were in a coma, but I assure you, there is nothing going on in the Fikus sector. I've done the scans myself, and checked every planet in the system, there is no life," Camille explained.

"Did you check the moons?"

"The what?"

"I ran a scan, there the computer picked up forms of life on the second moon of the forth planet. There is _someone_ out there,"

"You sure about that?"

"I'm positive," Katie said.

"Before you pull a Mulder on me, just because the computer says there's _life_ on that moon, doesn't mean its intelligent life. It would be a plant, or an ameba, or a fungus or something. There's no way to be sure," 

"I know a way," she paused. "I'm going,"

"Weren't you listening when the computer said that the radiation would cause a plague that would kill you and anyone you came in contact with? I understand you need to know what happened, but not if it costs you your life," she told her.

"You're the genius here, can't you find a way to filter out the radiation?"

Camille sighed. "I won't make you any promises, but I'll see what I can do. Until then, don't come to the communications lab without authorization. I won't be able to cover for you every time," Camille said.

"Thanks Cammy," she said.

"Anytime," she sighed, walking out the room.

*

"So what do you guys think?" Alex asked as he sat down at the table, handing each of them a copy of the reports. He gone over them himself a few times, and though everything seemed to be in order, he wanted to get their opinions.

There was time when he would have made the call himself, but over the last few months, he'd come to trust both Tommy and Jen a great deal. There was some who suspected that there was a certain animosity between he and Tommy because of _her_, and though that may have been the case originally, it had long since passed. He had nothing for respect for Tommy, and wanted nothing more than to see _her_ happy. 

Jen was first to glance over the report and give her opinion. "Dr. Young's opinion is enough for me. If he says its Logan, I believe him," she said.

"That isn't in question. I'm concerned about allowing him back to work," he mentioned.

"Technically, the Charles Logan that was promoted to Admiral was a fake, which would make _this_ Logan a Captain," he pointed out.

"What position are you trying to give him?" Tommy asked, injecting himself into the conversation.

"Now that I have the red Chrono morpher again, I obviously can't take on the responsibilities of a counsel member, so I…" he was cut short.

"You want to give him a seat on the counsel?" he asked.

"Yes, I do,"

"The doc seems to think he's fit for duty, and I'm convinced that he is _our_ Logan, so I don't see why he shouldn't be allowed to take a seat on the counsel. After all, we let a fake one onto the counsel, why not the real one?" Jen asked.

"You're talking about giving him definitive authority over Time Force. Are you sure that's what you want to do?" Tommy asked.

"I knew one of you would feel this way, which is why I called both of you here. Jen, you'll be having the baby any time now, and I'm sure you're in no rush to return to work. Tommy, I know you're itching to have something to do now that I have the Chrono morpher again, so my plan was to induct the two of you into the counsel along with Logan," Alex explained.

"The counsel? Me?" she asked.

"Why not? You know Time Force like the back of her hand, and I know that with the two of you in the counsel, we can get a lot of good done," he said.

"How long do you want us on the counsel? Is this permanent?" Tommy inquired.

"I know that sooner or later both of you will want to be back in the thick of things again, so this wouldn't be a permanent position… if you didn't want it to be,"

"I think it's a good idea," he said.

"You do?" Jen asked.

"Hes right. There are a lot of things wrong with Time Force, and being in a position to effect things would be good for everyone involved. Count on it," Tommy said.

"Jen? What about you?"

"I hope you know what you're doing Tommy," she turned to Alex. "I'm in," she told him.

"Very good. We'll have an official induction tonight at 1700 hours. Until then, I think…" he was cut short.

_'Trip to Alex. Respond,'_ they heard a voice say.

Alex reached for his Morpher. "What is it Trip?"

_'I've got a temporal incursion in progress. I think you should get down here,' _a voice said.

"Have Lt. Emery, Adam and Katie join us. I'll be there in a minute," he turned to Tommy and Jen. "Thank you, both of you. You're doing Time Force a huge service," he told them.

"I guess you'll be calling me sir again," Jen joked.

Alex nodded, then walked out the room.

*

"Do you have any idea what this is about?" Adam asked as he and Katie stepped into the turbo lift.

"Science lab," she announced, and, within moments, the turbo life began to move. She shook her head. "No. Trip said that Alex wanted us to meet him in the lab," she told him.

"When this is all over, you wanna go get something to eat?" he asked.

"Sure, did you have a place in mind?"

"I was going through the holo-programs and I found a nice one of a 23rd century beach on Alteria V. There are three moons, and all of them reflect off the water. I thought we could have a picnic or something," he suggested.

"Why Lt. Park, I never knew you were such a romantic," she mentioned.

"There are a lot of things you don't know about me," he paused. "Yet,"

Just then, the turbo life stopped and the doors opened. As soon as the two of them stepped off, Alex, who was heading around the corner, greeted them. "Lt. Park, Lt. Commander Taylor," he said dryly as the three of them made their way to the lab.

Alex placed his hand on the sensor pad.

_'Identity confirmed. Collins, Alexander,'_ the computer announced as the doors slid open.

The three of them walked in, then made their way over to Trip, who was sitting in front of the controls. "We've got a jumper," he told them.

"Do we know who it is?" Alex asked.

He shook his head. "No, as far as I can tell, the vortex originated twenty years into the future," Trip told him.

"Location?" Adam asked.

"Whoever it is seems to be have the ability to fool our sensors. When the vortex appeared, there was a life sign for a few seconds, then is vanished," he said.

"Cloaking technology?"

"Maybe phased cloaking?" Alex suggested.

"No, the sensors would be able to detect a slight misalignment in the phased cloak emitter array. Whatever it is, its years beyond everything we've got and I can't track it," he said.

"What was the last known location of the jumper?"

"Just outside of town, near the edge of New Silver Hills. You may want to…" he was interrupted as _he_ materialized out of nowhere.

It was obviously a ranger, and the technology was similar to Adam's black Chrono morpher, but much more sophisticated. Without a word, the ranger went after Adam, giving him a sabat kick that knocked him up against the wall. Trip got out of his seat and rushed at the ranger, but as soon as he did, the ranger phased, and Trip went right through him.

_"TIME FOR, TIME FORCE," _Alex called out, transforming into the red ranger. He quickly called for the Chrono saber. "I don't know who you are, but your time is up," he said, charging at him.

He tried to use the saber, but again, the ranger phased, and the saber simply passed through him. Before Alex could respond, the ranger kicked him in the chest, knocking him over. By then, Adam was back on his feet.

_"BLACK RANGER CHRONO ARMOR," _he called out, changing into his ranger uniform.

The two of them stood face to face, but the mysterious ranger was slightly taller than him. Adam tried for a chop, but it was blocked. He tried a sweep, but the ranger caught his foot. The golden blades extended from Adam's forearms as he tried to stab the ranger, but he phased for a third time, then extended a set of silver blades of his own. He swung with his blades, but Adam was able to side step him, then tried to undercut him with his blades. The mysterious ranger saw it coming and kicked Adam's wrist, breaking the blade in two. 

At that moment, Adam's morpher began to glow, and the mysterious ranger used his blades to slide it off Adam's wrist. As the morpher hit the floor, it forced Adam to power down, and the ranger picked up his morpher, disappearing in a stream of light.

Trip rushed over to the controls. "Theres a power surge coming from Adam's morpher, and I can track it," he paused. "Looks like that ranger is back at the coordinates the vortex originally appeared," he said.

"We're on it," Katie said as she and Alex reached for their morphers, disappearing into streams of light as well.

  
~~

Alex and Katie materialized near the beach on the edge of the city, where there was a vortex opening. The mysterious ranger was making his way towards the vortex, but was cut short.

"No one messes with my man," Katie snapped, rushing at him with a kick.

"Stop. I don't want to fight you," the ranger told her.

"Too late for that," she said, charging at him again, this time with a martial arts kick. He caught her foot, pushing her to the ground.

"Damn it Katie, I'm trying to help you," he snapped as the vortex collapsed on itself.

Katie got up, dusting herself off, and was about to go after him again, but Alex grabbed her, holding her back. "Who are you?" he asked, stepping forward.

"No time for that," the ranger said, throwing Adam's morpher into the air, then dived at the two of them knocking them to the ground. Seconds later, the morpher exploded. "It was Chyro Tech's final hope for revenge against Time Force," he sighed.

"What are you talking about?" Alex asked.

"When Adam was trapped in an alternate reality and was cloned by Chyro Tech, their original plan was to duplicate his ranger technology, but when they realized that couldn't, they went with plan B and cloned him. They inserted an explosive inside the morpher, and unless a signal was sent from Chyro Tech to the morpher every 72 hours, it would explode, killing Adam in the process," he explained.

"Is that what happened in the future?" Katie asked.

He nodded. "Adam's death devastated you, and you were never the same after that. You left Time Force, and after the final battle, everyone was killed. If you'd been there, things may have been different," he said.

"Final battle? What final battle?" Alex asked.

"You said it yourself sir, no one should know too much about their own future. But, now that Katie and Adam will join the fight, you have a good chance of surviving it," he walked over to Alex. "I will tell you this much," he removed his morpher, forcing him to power down. "Tell Camille this will get here where she needs to go," he said.

Katie got a good look at him. "Khalil?" she asked in amazement.

He was a little taller than she remembered, and it was obvious that whatever the "final battle" was, it had taken its toll on him. There were scars on his face and arms, and even though they appeared to be long since healed, were still noticeable.

"I love you sis," he said, and then simply faded away.

"Where did he go?" she snapped.

"By coming here and warning us, the time line was changed, and without his morpher, he was erased from future history," Alex told her.

"What do you think he meant by the final battle?" she asked.

Alex glanced down at the morpher in his hand. "Something tells me we won't have to wait too long to find out," he sighed.

~~

**Preview: Eye of the Beholder**

Next time on Parallels II: The rangers respond to a distress call, only to find themselves face to face with a God. (Not recommended for sensitive readers)

_~~_


	30. Eye of the beholder

**_Disclaimer: _**_Power Rangers Time Force and all related logos are property of Disney and/or Saban Entertainment. I am using them without permission. KJ Sheldon, Lt. James Emery, Trinity Oliver, A.I.S.H.A., Admiral Summers, Camille Summers, Leo Claw and the "Omega Project" are property of yours truly. Sierra appears courtesy of… well, Sierra. _

This chapter deals with a very delicate subject: religion. The intent was not to offend anyone, but to give other perspectives into religion. I apologize in advance for anyone who made have been offended.

~~

The doors slid open, and Tommy walked into the communication's room. Other than a few flashing lights and the light coming from the hall, the room itself was completely dark.

He sat down in front of the control panel, inputting a series of commands. "Computer, open a subspace channel to these coordinates," he ordered.

_'Coordinates accepted, opening channel,'_ the computer replied.

Within seconds, the screen blinked on, and there _she_ was. Her hair was a bit longer than he remembered it, but she was still as beautiful as he remembered her. "Hello sweetie," he said warmly.

"Hi daddy, it's been a while," she said cheerfully. "I haven't talked to you since mom and I came to Time Force for the wedding,"

"I know, there's a lot going on here. We're just trying to get everything in order. How is school?" he asked.

"Just fine, still top of the class. My professor says I'm way ahead of my class, and I may be able to graduate early," she said.

"That's great. How is your mother? And Wes?"

"Mom is pregnant, about two months now. She and Wes are planning to name the baby Tommy if it's a boy, and Trini if it's a girl," she told him.

He couldn't help but smile. "That's great news,"

"Are you sure everything is okay dad? You normally don't contact me unless something is going on," she mentioned.

"No, everything is fine. I just missed my little girl is all,"

"How is Jen?" she asked.

"She's having twins, so she isn't in the best mood these days, but we're expecting her to deliver in the next few weeks," Tommy said.

"I'm glad to know everything is workin' out for you,"

He paused. "Honey, do you know is Tanya and Gaby are done with the morphers yet?" he asked her.

"You know they don't talk to me about classified stuff, but as far as I can tell, all their attempts to create a stable morpher have failed horribly. Gaby mentioned something to Wes last week about using pieces of the red Chrono morpher to enhance the power of the trans-dimensional rift, and something about accounting for subspace variances. That's all I know," she explained.

"For someone who doesn't have any classified information, you sure know a lot about the project," he said.

"I know more about it than you think. There's something going on, isn't there? There's a reason Time Force has such an interest in the morphers we're working on here, so 'fess up, what's going on?" she asked him.

"All I know is that the cadets are going to be involved, that's all. What I don't understand is why the morphers would be built in the past. If we were in some serious danger, it would make more sense to build the morphers here, in the future. All I can tell you is that everything happens for a reason, and even if we don't see it now, things have a way of falling into place," he explained.

"I hope you're right dad, but I…" she was cut short as something in the communication's lab began to beep.

"Hold on Trinity, I'm detecting a communication coming on, but its on a lower EM band frequency," he told her, going over the readings.

"_Lower_ EM? That's primitive even by 21st century standards," she brought up.

"I have to go sweetie. I need to investigate this," he told her.

"I understand,"

"I love you honey,"

"I love you too, dad," she said.

Without a word, he closed the subspace channel, and as the image of Trinity blinked off the screen, he reached over to the controls on the far right panel. "Tommy to Trip, respond," he said.

_'Trip here, what is it Tommy?'_

"I'm picking up a general distress class on a lower EM band frequency, you may want to get down to the communication's lab and have a look at this," he suggested.

_'I'm picking it up down here in the science lab too. According to these readings, the message has a Time Force signature on it, but it doesn't make sense. No one from Time Force uses such an archaic form of communication,' _he pointed out.

"Maybe whoever it is sending the signal is using the only means of communication they have. Can you get a lock on the origin of the signal?" he asked.

_'I can track it. I already contacted Alex and informed him, he should be on his way to the lab now. We're going to investigate it,'_ Trip told him.

Trip's statement was just a reminder that Tommy was no longer a ranger, and no longer to command of the Slipstream project. Part of him wished he was back out in the field, but understood why he couldn't be. _'I have to be here with Jen and the twins, I can't be traveling to different worlds and risking my life everyday,'_ he thought.

"Understood. When you guys get back, let me know how it all turned out,"

There was a pause. _'Ya know Tommy, we could use someone down in the lab to keep an eye on things while we're gone,'_ he mentioned.

Tommy smiled. "I'm on my way," 

~~

Alex walked into the science lab, making his way over to Trip. "Report," he said dryly, standing over him by the controls.

"I've been able to track the coordinates to a parallel reality, but from what I can tell, they don't have any technology there. It's the year 3002, but every bit of technology has been wiped out," he told him.

"Is it safe to open a vortex there?" he asked.

"I don't foresee any problems, but it wouldn't hurt to take a couple phaser riffles with us," Trip suggested.

"Sounds good. Contact Lucas, Katie and Adam to…" he paused, recalling that Adam no longer had his powers. "Contact Katie, Lucas and Lt. Emery to join us," he ordered.

"They're already on the way. I told Tommy to come to the lab and monitor our progress. We'll need someone on the controls to let us know if something goes wrong," Trip said.

"Good idea,"

Just then, the doors to the lab opened as Lucas and Lt. Emery walked into the room. "What's going on boss?" James asked, walking over to Alex.

"We've got a mission. Where is Katie?"

"She isn't coming, she was… occupied," Lucas said.

"Occupied with _what_?"

"This is a difficult time for Adam. I think she just wants to be with him right now," he said.

Alex nodded. "Fine, it's just the three of us then," 

"Make that four," Trip said, standing up.

"Okay. Everyone grab a phaser riffle, there's no telling what we can expect on the other side of the vortex," Alex ordered.

Lucas walked over to the storage cabinet, pulling out a set of phaser riffles, handing each of them one. "I thought the initial reports said there was no technology on this world," he brought up. "If there are no weapons there, why are we breakin' out the big guns?"

"Just in case," he told him.

Tommy walked into the room, making his way over to the rest of the group. "You guys about ready to go?" he asked, sitting down in front of the controls.

"Once we get there, run a scan and see what you can tell us about the world. We'll need as much information as we can get," Alex said.

"You got it," Tommy said, activating the slipstream.

Alex was the first to step through the portal, allowed by Lucas and Emery. Trip headed towards the portal, but stopped, turning to Tommy. "Be ready to pull us out in case something goes wrong," he said.

"Just say the word," he said.

Trip nodded, then stepped through the portal.

~~

The four of them stepped out the portal, getting a good look at their surroundings. At first glance, it appeared to be New Silver Hills, but there were no signs of buildings. As far as the eye could see, there were only trees, with the exception of what appeared to be an open field. 

"Everyone okay?" Alex asked, turning to them.

"We're all in one piece," Lt. Emery said, speaking for the group.

"We should head to that clearing over there, see if we can see anything," he suggested.

They made their way through the trees, eventually coming to the clearing. There was a small stream near by, but still no signs of civilization.

"Are you sure we're in New Silver Hills?" Lucas asked.

"According to my readings, yes. This is the year 3002, and this is exactly where New Silver Hills should be," Trip told him.

"So where is everyone?"

"If I had to take a guess, it looks like after World War three, the human race never rebuilt their technology. They may have seen it was a chance to start over and reverted to a simpler way of life," Trip speculated.

"So if that's true, who sent a distress call?" Alex asked.

"Um guys. I don't think we'll have a chance to worry about it," James brought up.

"Why not?"

Alex glanced around, only to discover they were being surrounded by a group of people. He noticed they were wearing animal skins, and had tribal symbols painted on their bodies and face, each of them with spears in hand.

The four of them took a step back, putting their backs up against one another to prevent being attacked from behind.

"So what's the plan?" Lucas asked.

"I only count twenty of them. We can take'em," James pointed out.

"No, we don't have to seem hostile. No one make any sudden moves," Alex ordered.

"Us? Hostile? We're not the ones with sharp pointy things," Trip said.

One of the tribesmen approached the group. Judging by the necklace made of animal teeth and the distinct markings on his face, Alex concluded he was the leader of the group. "We mean you no harm," Alex assured him.

"As it was prophesied, the travelers have come. The Beholder foretold your arrival," the tribesmen said.

"The Beholder?" he asked.

"Yes, the Anointed One, our savior," he said.

"The Beholder is the light, the Beholder is the way. All praise to the Beholder," the other tribesmen said in unison.

"Okay," James mumbled sarcastically.

"We were told of your coming, and we must take you to the Beholder at once. Those are his wishes," the tribesmen said, motioning for them to follow.

Reluctantly, the four of them followed the tribe members through the forest. After a long, tedious walk, they arrived at what appeared to be a temple.

"That kinda looks like the Hall of Elders on Xybria," Trip mentioned as they continued to walk.

The tribesmen stopped dead in their tracks, bowing in front of the entrance to the temple. "We can go no further, it goes against the wishes of the Beholder. The four of you may enter, but leave your weapons behind," he said. Alex nodded slightly, and the four of them dropped their phaser riffles. "All of them, including the devices in your wrists,"

"I'm not giving up my morpher," James snapped.

"Just do it, it'll be okay," Alex insisted.

Hesitantly, they removed their morphers, tossing him in the pile along with their riffles, then headed into the temple. There was a long, narrow hallway, and at the end was a thrown room of sorts. There were swords and shields along the wall, and at the end of the room was a giant thrown.

"I knew it was a matter of time before you would come," a voice said, echoing through the entire room.

It was Alex who stepped forward. "I am Captain Alexander Collins from…" he was cut short.

"Yes, from Time Force. I know. You're here to investigate the distress call you received, is that correct?" the voice asked.

"How did you know?"

"I am the Beholder. I am all knowing, all seeing," he said.

"Then that means you know I'm not easily impressed by cheap parlor tricks and a spooky echo effect," Alex snapped.

"Always were impatient, weren't you Alexander? Even the academy, you were impatient. Isn't that right Lucas?" the voice asked them.

Lucas couldn't help but nod, recalling Alex in his younger years. "If you're going to play games, we can leave," Lucas said.

"And how do you propose to leave? I have your morpher, and you'll find that your friends at Time Force won't be able to get a lock on you while you're in my temple. There are mystical barriers that prevent such a thing,"

"I've had enough of this…" Lucas was cut short by Trip, who grabbed his arm.

"Wait," he paused, listening carefully. "Who are you?" he asked.

"I'm surprised you don't already know my Xybrian friend. Doesn't this temple look familiar to you? Does my voice sound familiar to you? You know who I am, don't you young Trip?" the voice asked.

The thrown began to turn around slowly, allowing them to get a good look at him. Though he had long, flowing white hair, he didn't appear to be any older than thirty years old. His eyes were completely white, and there was a jewel in the middle of his forehead. He wore an all white robe, which seemed to shine.

"It can't be," Trip sighed, getting a look at him.

"Trip, you know this man? Who is he?" Alex asked.

"Its me," he sighed with disbelief.

Alex took a second glanced, surprised that he hadn't seen it sooner. "Trip, what happened to you? What's going on here?" he asked.

"The man you knew as Trip is no more. I am the Beholder," he told them.

"Let me guess, you found your way to this world and decided to play God with the locals. You forced them to build you a temple, and you use the little technology you have to enslave them, convincing them that you're their Lord and savior," Lucas snapped.

"To the contrary Lucas, events leading to this moment were very different," he stood up, and because the robe was so long, it seemed as though he floated over to them. "Years ago, I invited a device called the Slipstream Interdimensional portal. So eager to test it, myself and the other rangers went in blindly, but I'd overlooked a calculation, and we were unable to get back to our home world. We began traveling from world to world, each of them more remarkable than the last. One day, we traveled to a world plagued with a disease, and within days, Lucas, Alex, and Jen were killed. Left only with Kathryn as my companion, we escaped that world, but on the next, Katie was killed, and I was only. I traveled alone for months, doing whatever I could to survive. Finally, about eight months ago, I came here, and these people were suffering from a disease that would have surely killed them all. I used my knowledge to develop a cure for them, but not before I got the illness myself. I was able to give myself the antidote, but it robbed me of my sight in the process. However, because of my jewel, and I am able to see much more than I ever imagined. Not only can I see the four of you plain as day, I also have visions, allowing me to see into the future," he explained.

"So the locals dubbed you their savior for curing the plague, and you decided to go along with it," Alex said.

"You are mistaken. The tribe's people foretold my arrival. It was written that a noble soul would travel to this world with the gift of foresight, freeing them from oppression and suffering. Don't you see Alex, I'm not playing God here: I am God," he told him.

It was Trip who took a step forward, facing him. "I don't know what happened to you, but I refused to believe that I could ever allow myself to get so screwed up in the head that…" he was cut short as the Beholder raised his hand slightly, and a bolt of lighting struck Trip in the chest, knocking him to the ground.

Lucas and James rushed over to Trip, checking on him.

"I am the light, I am the way. All praise to me, or you will die," the Beholder told them.

"We'll see about that," Alex said, charging towards him. Almost effortlessly, the Beholder was able to avoid being hit; moving aside no matter what Alex threw at him. Finally, he nodded slightly, and a beam of light came from the jewel in his forehead, hitting Alex in the stomach, forcing him to double over.

"Say it Alexander, say I am the way," he told him, kicking him in the stomach with so such force that he flew twenty feet, crashing into one of the pillars.

Alex stood up slowly, holding his stomach in pain. "I will never say it," he groaned.

"Oh you will, or you will die," he said, raising his hand slightly. Alex began to rise in the air, holding onto his throat as if he was choking. "I could kill you with a mere thought human. Now say it,"

James and Lucas tried to charge at him, but the Beholder lifted his other hand slightly, and the two of them found themselves stuck up against the wall.

"This can be very painful for you Alexander, but I can make the pain stop. All you have to do submit to me, and say the words," he snapped.

It was Trip who got back to his feet, standing face to face with the Beholder. "You adopted the ways of our elders, harnessing the dark forces for your own benefit," he mentioned.

"I am far beyond anything the elders could have foreseen. I am immortal, I am all powerful," he snapped.

"I know what really happened to you. You traveled to all those worlds alone, convinced that you would never see your friends again. You were lonely, and when you came here, you felt as though you were needed and decided to stay. The only problem is, you realized that this was the world you'd left behind in the first place, didn't you?" Trip asked.

"I have no what idea what…"

"When you and the rangers left, the world was invaded by something or someone, and without the rangers here to protect them, everything and everyone was wiped out. There were a handful of people who survived, but they were dying, and you felt a responsibility to help them. Now this is all that's left of your world, and with all the power you have, you're still that lonely little boy who knows he can never see his friends again," he told him.

"You know nothing, silence!" he screamed.

"That's when we received a distress call on the lower EM band, it was all Time Force had left after the invasion. It took it years to reach us, but when it did, you knew we would come," he said.

"Enough," he screamed as a beam came from the jewel in his forehead, knocking Trip to the floor. 

Trip stood back up. "You're no God, you're just afraid. You're afraid and lonely, and the only thing you could do to comfort yourself was taken over an entire planet, but you realized that it wasn't enough for you. You need an equal; you need someone who won't bow down to you. You needed your friends," he told him.

That was enough to distract him, and that second was enough to make Alex fall to the floor, gasping for air. Trip motioned James and Lucas across the room, pointing out a stone that was on the other end of the room. The stone had a glow to it; similar to the way the Beholder's robe was glowing. "You know nothing Xybrian. I have evolved beyond anything you can comprehend, I am a God," he screamed.

"You blame yourself for not being here to stop what happened, you think it's your fault. Maybe if you'd ran more tests, maybe if you done something different. None of this was your fault, there was no way you could have known," he assured him.

"I wanted to…" he paused, turning his back to him. "Be gone Xybrian, you know nothing about me," he snapped.

Alex took advantage of the distraction, going back through the hall they'd originally come through.

"It wasn't your fault," he repeated.

Finally, the Beholder turned around, revealing tears in his eyes. "It _was_ my fault. Radiation from the Slipstream infected the entire planet while I was gone, and when I got back, there were only a handful of humans left. All of this is my fault, and its up to me repair the damage I've done," he snapped.

Lucas and James finally made it to the stone, examining it.

"Not by enslaving the world and embracing the dark magic of the elders. You have the knowledge, and with our help, you could rebuild," he said.

"You would… help me?"

"Yes. On my world, we've perfected the slipstream. We could come back with personnel, with supplies. If you let us help, we could…" he was cut short.

"Do you know how many times I've heard that? Do you know how many times someone from another Earth came to me with empty promises or helping me rebuild? You can keep your lies Xybrian," he snapped.

Trip glanced over the Beholder's shoulder, noticing James and Lucas were in position. "Ya know, there's a lot I know about you _Beholder_. I know you're drowning yourself in self-pity, blaming yourself for something you couldn't have possibly stopped. I know that you didn't lose your sight to a disease; you lost it when you adopted the dark powers. I also know that you need that stone to harness your power, and now, your time is up," Trip told him.

At that moment, James and Lucas picked the stone up, slamming it down to the floor…

But it didn't break.

"Well, so much for that plan," James sighed.

The Beholder turned to them, and with a flick of the wrist, knocked them through the wall. "You will pay for your betrayal Xybrian.  The cost is your life!" he screamed, simply looked at Trip, lifting him into the air.

"I believe my friend said your time was up!" Alex snapped, aiming his phaser riffle at the stone and shot it, breaking it into a million pieces. 

At that moment, Trip fell to the ground, and the Beholder dropped to his knees. Suddenly, his hair began to change color, and his robe stopped glowing.

"Its over Trip," Trip said, kneeling over him.

"You've ruined it," he screamed.

Alex stood over him with the phaser riffle, aiming at his forehead. "Now what is it that you wanted me to say to you?" he asked.

Trip pushed the riffle away. "Alex, no," he said.

Lucas walked over to them. "Trip is right. If we'd gone through what he went through, this could have been any of us. Without the stone, he won't be able to use the dark powers anymore,"

"But these people still worship him, we have to put a stop to it," he said.

"These people think of him as a God, to take that away from him would destroy everything these people have rebuilt. Without his powers, he won't be able to control them, and they'll have to make their own way," Trip said.

"You want to leave him here?"

"Yes. Things will work themselves out," he told him.

Alex lowered his weapon. "Fine, but we should get going. When the locals realized I knocked out one of the guards to get my riffle back, they won't be very happy with us," he said as the four of them headed for the exit.

"I will exact my revenge on you Trip, on all of you. You have no idea what you've done. This world is doomed, and its all your fault," he screamed, but it was too late, they were gone.

**_* that evening *_**

****

****

"I can't imagine you with white hair," Camille said as she walked into the lab, making her way over to him, handing him a cup of coffee.

"You see this," he pointed to a group of wires. "If these hadn't been tested, the same thing that happened on his world would have happened here, and everyone would have been wiped out. Can you imagine returning home after traveling randomly from world to world, only to find out that it's your fault that everyone you knew and loved was dead? If it had been me, I might have turned to the dark forces as well," he explained.

"I'm glad things turned out differently for us," she sighed.

At that moment, the doors to the lab opened, and KJ walked over to them. "Am I intruding?" she inquired.

"Not at all KJ. What's up?"

"I reviewed the report from your mission earlier today, and I was curious about something," she sat down in the chair across from Trip. "I am familiar with Xybrian mythology and there religious practices, but I was curious to know what your beliefs were," she said.

"What do you mean?"

"The Xybrian equivalent to Earth's Bible insisted that Xybria was the only world with intelligent life, yet that has been proven wrong. It states that an Xybrian was the creator of the entire universe, breathing life into everything it touched, but your scientists have been able to prove that there were creatures on Xybria long before any recorded history. The existence of the dark forces of your elders also goes against that Xybrian religion teaches. SO again, with so many contradictions in your belief system, what do you believe?" she inquired.

He sighed. "Well, I like to think I'm a man of science, but our religious values are too strong to ignore," he said.

"But surely both of them can't be wrong. This is similar to the debate that has raged on here on Earth for countless years: creation vs. evolution," she brought up.

"True, but in both cases, I don't think that either belief has all the answers. People who believe in God tend to believe that creation is the only way, and aren't open-minded to the possibility that it could be wrong. Those who rely on science tend to think that evolution is the only answer, and aren't interested in exploring any other option. I've seen a lot of things in my time, and I know enough to know that no one knows for sure," he explained.

"Time Force possesses the ability to travel through time. Why not simply go back to the beginning of time and conclusively prove which theory is correct?" she asked.

"People aren't ready for that KJ. If were to prove that religion was wrong that there was no God, there would anarchy. Religious people would be in a panic, and you essentially create more problems than it would solve. To prove that scientists were wrong would create chaos as well," Camille told her.

"But do you not think the human race deserves to know the truth about their existence?" KJ asked him.

"No. Some things are best left to debate. There are some things man isn't suppose to know," he said.

"I understand, but you still have not said what you believe,"

"I believe in the pursuit of the truth in all its forms, and though we may never know for sure, it's the journey that matters," Trip told her.

"I believe I understand. Thank you lieutenant," she said, walking out the room.

~~

**Preview: Clues**

Next time on Parallels II: The rangers hope to find some clue as to when the "Final Battle" will begin. Meanwhile, the cadets search for clues to their own destiny.

_~~_


	31. Clues

**_Disclaimer: _**_Power Rangers Time Force and all related logos are property of Disney and/or Saban Entertainment. I am using them without permission. KJ Sheldon, Lt. James Emery, Trinity Oliver, A.I.S.H.A., Admiral Summers, Camille Summers, Leo Claw and the "Omega Project" are property of yours truly. Sierra appears courtesy of… well, Sierra. _

_FF.net is screwing up with posting reviews and author alerts, but that should be taken care of in the next few days. Until then, don't let it discourage you from taking a few minutes to leave a review. I live for reviews!!_

~~

The four of them stood in the middle of what remained of the city. Most of the buildings had been destroyed, and there were groups of people in a panic, all of them running to safety. There were overturned cars, buildings on fire, hydrants broken open, spilling water through out the streets.

In the distance, there were groups of piranhatrons making their way through the city, destroying everything in their path. 

Khalil turned to them. "You guys ready?"

"Ready," Amanda said eagerly, speaking for the group.

"GOLD RANGER POWER," Khalil called out, transforming into the Gold Zeo ranger. He quickly called for his staff, and then charged in after the quantrons. He caught one of them with a sweep, and then tossed his staff to another. The quantron caught it, and Khalil quickly jumped up, balancing himself on the staff and kicked the quantron in the chest. As it fell, Khalil did a back flip, wrapping his legs around the head of another quantron, flipping it over.

Amanda and KJ teamed up one another quantron, giving it a double spin kick, knocking it into one of the burning cars. As it stumbled forward, Sasha landed a corkscrew kick, taking it down. As they celebrated, another group of quantrons attacked from behind, forcing them to the group. The crowd of quantrons then split in half, allowing _her_ to step through.

"Surrender gold ranger, or your friends will be destroyed!" she announced.

The gold ranger turned around, facing her. "Give this up Astronema, you'll never be able to defeat me," he told her.

"We'll just see about that,"

She rushed towards him with her staff, but he blocked her attempt with his, then spun around, hitting her in the back of the leg, taking her down. She quickly leaped up, hitting him in the side of the head with her staff, forcing him down to one knee. She stood over him, aiming the staff at his throat.

"Any last words?"

"Yeah," he reached for a disrupter on his side, aiming it at her. "Your time is up!" he told him, firing the weapon. Astronema fell back, hitting the ground with a thud. He then turned his attention to the remaining quantrons. "Anyone else want some?"

The quantrons looked at one another, but decided against attacking as they all rushed away. With them gone, he headed over to the others.

"You guys okay?"

It was Amanda who stood up, removing the rubber band from her hair, letting her hair down as he fell past her shoulders. "You were so brave Khalil, you saved Earth from the Alliance of Evil," she sighed, running into his arms.

"No, it was a team effort. If not for you, all of you, evil would reign supreme in the universe," he pointed out.

"So brave, so noble, so selfless," Sasha added.

"You have got to be kidding me," he heard a voice say.

Khalil turned around, only to see _her_ walk over to him. "Um, Sasha, what are you doing here?" he asked her.

"I should be asking you that question," she paused. "Computer, end simulation," she ordered. Suddenly, everything faded away, including the gold ranger uniform, leaving only orange colored grids along the walls, ceiling and floor. "When Jen said you could use the holo-programs for training, I don't think that is what she had in mind," she told him.

"I _was_ training," he sighed in his defense.

"Is that why in your twisted little fantasy Amanda was your love slave?"

"She was not,"

"_You were so brave Khalil, you saved Earth from the Alliance of Evil,_" she mocked.

"How long were you standing there?" he asked.

"Long enough to see you look like the hero while the rest of us were captured by quantrons, only for you to swoop in and save us all," she told him. "I don't think Amanda would appreciate it if she knew you were in here making out with her,"

"It wasn't like that. I ran the Countdown to Destruction program like Jen suggested. Yeah, I made a few modifications, but it…"

"A few? You do know that the Gold ranger was on Triforia during CTD, don't you?" she asked.

"Yeah, but the gold ranger powers are my favorite from the history logs. I thought it would be fun to use those powers," he said.

"And you _do_ know that the Gold ranger didn't have a disrupter? And back then, they didn't say 'your time is up'," she mentioned.

"Okay, so I get a D in history," he sighed. "We don't have to mention this incident to anyone, do we?" he inquired.

She sighed. "I think it's sweet that you have a crush on Mandy, but coming in here and doing what you did isn't right. If you like her, just tell her," Sasha told him.

"It isn't that simple. Something big is going to happen in the past, and it's going to be up to us to stop it. That's a lot of pressure, and with all the hours Captain Scott is making us train and prepare, there isn't any time to personal feelings," he said.

"Make the time. Its important to you, so tell her," she insisted.

"Aren't you even the least bit curious about what destiny has in store for us? Something major is about to happen, and I need to have the heads up on what's going on. If they told us more, we'd be able to prepare,"

"I don't think they know anymore about it. The history logs are vague,"

"But there are sections of the history logs that aren't made available to cadets. If we could get our hands on them, we'd be able to…"

She shook her head. "No, I don't want any part of this. Whatever destiny has planned for us let it come. I'm not going to tempt fate," she said.

"That might be enough for you, but I need answers," Khalil said, walking out the room.

*

Adam stared at himself in the mirror, paying close attention to where his morphers use to be. He understood why it happened, but he was unclear what he would do next. _'I was brought to this time period to be a ranger, to help people, but now what do I do?'_ he thought to himself.

He was sure he'd be able to get a job in the science lab, or maybe become a Time Force police officer, but wasn't fond of the idea of handing out parking tickets for the rest of his career. He wanted more than that, he _needed_ more than that. 

"You're doing it again, aren't you?" a voice asked.

He was able to see Katie through the reflection in the mirror as she walked up behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Doing what?"

"Feeling sorry for yourself, wishing you still had your morpher. If Khalil hadn't shown up and taken the morpher from you, I'd be standing in a cemetery feeling sorry for myself," she told him.

"I'm not _doing it again,_" he paused. "I'm still doing it from the last time you asked me," he sighed.

She giggled. "I know what its like, to feel helpless, but you heard what Khalil said, something is coming. Whatever this final battle is, we're all going to be needed, and with both of us still here, I like our chances," she said.

"But what will I be able to do without a morpher? Camille is working on a new morpher, but from what I hear, she doesn't have a stable enough power source to activate it. When the time comes, and the final battle goes down, I won't have any powers," he pointed out.

"You think you need powers to make a difference? They'll be plenty of things you can do to help," Katie assured him.

"Yeah, I can sit in the lab and monitor your progress," he turned around. "I have to be out there doing my part, not sitting in front of a computer,"

"You know the pink morpher is still available," she mentioned, cracking a smile.

"Very funny," he sighed.

"Seriously, when the time comes, we'll all do out part, and we'll save the world… again," Katie sighed.

"We always do," he smiled.

*

"These will get me where I need to go? Where do I have to be?" Camille asked, examining the morphers closely.

Alex stood off to the side, leaning up against the wall with his arms folded. "That's all he told me. He seemed pretty adamant about not telling us anymore than he did," he mentioned.

"The design looks a lot like the configuration of the black chrono armor, but way beyond anything I've ever seen. If I didn't know any better, I'd say…" she paused, taking another look. "This is _my_ design. Whoever created this used the same schematic I used when I created the Omega morpher," she said.

"It makes sense, Khalil was from the future. It stands to reason that he'd be using your technology. Can't you use the power source from this one to activate yours?" he asked.

"That was my original thought, but it looks like the regeneration circuits were damaged, and the reserve power cells are too low. My guess is this thing has enough power for one more morph, but that's it," Camille said.

"Maybe we're looking at this the wrong way. Khalil said that you could use the morpher to get where you had to go, not to power the morphers. Maybe we're suppose to use his morpher to get somewhere important," he said.

"Just speculation. Its too bad he couldn't tell us anything else. For all we know that him coming here is what sets off the final battle,"

"If that were true, when he took off the morpher, he wouldn't have disappeared. The fact that he did means his time line was altered, so things are already changing," Alex said.

"If that's the case, and the time line did change, maybe his morpher won't be enough to do anything anymore. I wish he would have told us more," she sighed.

"We'll just have to do our best,"

"I only hope that its enough when the time…" she was cut short as an alert went off. She hurried over to her control panel, reviewing the information on the screen. "Someone is illegally accessing the history logs," she said.

"Can you tell who it is?"

"Give me a minute," she paused. "It's my authorization code, but there are only two other people who know my code,"

"Who?"

"Trip and…" she paused. "KJ,"

"I was wondering when they were going to get around to that," Alex said.

"What?"

"It's the cadets. They're trying to find out more about the mission they'll be going on. I can't say I blame them, they deserve to know as much as they can about their mission before they go in," he said.

"You _knew_ they were going to do this? How"

"The same way I knew you and Trip would figure out what was going on when Tommy brought Adam to this century, the same way I knew Tommy would find a way to bring you and Trip back even though I told him not to," he brought up.

"You don't want me to stop them?"

"Not yet, let them get a good look at it first,"

~~

"According to this, there are a group of rangers in the year 2007 that combat a group of renegades," Khalil said, reading over KJ's shoulder.

"There is no mention as to who the renegades are. Moreover, there is no conclusive proof that the rangers mentioned in this log will in fact be us," she pointed out.

"Do you remember when we went on the field trip to the 21st century? The scientists there said there were no rangers in that time period," he said.

"They also said there wasn't a need for rangers,"

"True, but the fact that Time Force asked them to build morphers in that time period means something big is going to go down there," he said.

"That is merely speculation,"

"No, its fact. It says right here six rangers combat a group of renegades. They have to be talking about us," Khalil said.

"I must point that there are only four of us: You, myself, Amanda Scotts and Sasha Regis. The log mentions six rangers, therefore, it cannot be us," she said.

"I'm tellin' ya, its us. I haven't figured out how yet, but it is. Trust me on this,"

"The last time you asked for my trust, you said that time travel was impossible," KJ mentioned.

"So I'm only right half the time," he sighed.

"Someone has been alerted to our presence here," she said, turning to the controls.

"Who?"

~~

"Damn it, KJ knows were monitoring them," Camille said, sitting in front of her control panel.

"Did they get the information they needed?" he asked.

"I'm not sure, but she's terminating her link to those files," she told him.

~~

"The link has been terminated," KJ announced.

"Well, at least we know a little more now than we did before all this started," he said.

"That is incorrect. We know that a group of six rangers will combat renegades in the past. There is no mention of who the renegades are, or who the rangers are. We, in essence, know less than we did before this started," she said.

"Well I don't know about you, but I'm going to find out," Khalil said, walking out the room.

*

Tommy walked into the room, making his way over to Jen, who was sitting at the table surrounded by mountains of papers. He quietly walked up behind her, massaging her back.

"Long day?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing," she said, melting into his massage.

"I was down in the lab with Trip trying to figure out what the Final Battle was all about," he said.

"Any luck?"

"No. Camille has a morpher that Katie's brother wore in the future, and its beyond anything we have now, but the power cells are damaged. Its suppose to get her somewhere, but none of us can figure out what that means or where its suppose to take her," he said.

"Maybe we're suppose to travel to the future and see for ourselves,"

"No, if that were true, Katie's brother would have told her more while he was here. My theory is that she's suppose to find a way to modify the power cell to use for her morpher project," he said.

"This is why no one should know too much about their own destiny. When they do, they're more concerned about the future than the present," she mentioned.

"Speaking of the present, I was thinking that after the twins are born, I was hoping you'd step down as teacher and stay home with us," he said.

"You don't expect me to just walk away from my career while you…" she paused. "Did you say us?" she asked.

"I was thinking I'd officially leave Time Force and stay home with you and the kids," he said.

"Really?"

"I've made the mistake of putting my duties as a ranger over being with my family once, and I won't do it again. I don't plan on waking up in the year 4000 trying to adjust to things all over again because I had to go on one final mission," he explained.

"I knew there was a reason I married you," she sighed, wrapping her arms around him.

"You mean it wasn't because of my rugged good looks?" he asked.

"You wish," she sighed.

*

Alex sat in front of the computer in his office, going through the history logs. He knew after Jen took the cadets on that field trip a few months ago that sooner or later, they'd want to know what destiny had in store for them.

He recalled being an eager cadet, full of curiosity, wanting to see what the future had in store for him. From that aspect, he could relate to what they were feeling, but he also knew that history, even future history, had to played out the way it was intended. There were only very few times when changing destiny was done successfully, and even then, there were consequences. 

When Admiral Logan authorized Tommy to bring Adam from the past, things were changed for the worst, and as a result, both Trip and Camille were killed. Allowing Tommy to use the Sphere of Omara to revive Camille and Trip altered time, more than likely resulting in the Final Battle that Admiral Summers warned him about. _'Altering the time line has consequences, but sometimes the means outweigh those consequences,'_ he thought.

There was no way to be sure exactly what the Final Battle was, or when it would happen, which is why he decided it was much better for everyone involved if they knew as much as they could. That's why he'd sent for the cadets.

"You wanted to see us, sir?" Sasha asked, peeking her head in the doorway.

Alex glanced up, quickly motioning them to come on. One by one, the four of them walked into the office, sitting down in front of the desk. "Thank all of you for coming so quickly," he leaned forward. "KJ, I know that you and Cadet Taylor were reviewing the history logs today without authorization," he told them.

"I will accept full responsibility for the incursion of protocol," KJ said.

"That's not why I called the four of you here," he reached for his sunglasses, putting them on. "All of you are aware that something is going to happen, and its no secret that of an academy with over 1200 cadets, the four of you were chosen for other reasons," he said.

"I don't understand sir," Amanda sighed.

"You're all under the impression that you'll have to go to the year 2007 to face a group of renegades. That much KJ and Khalil should have been able to determine while they were going through the history logs," he said.

"Yes sir," he said.

"But, what you don't know are the circumstances surrounding that event. You see, time is a tricky thing. The original plan was that the four of you would go to the past to contend with the renegades, then return home, but the time line as shifted and things have changed," he stood up, coming from behind the desk and closing the door to his office. "What I'm about to tell you is restricted information, only the rangers and a handful of senior staff have access to this information. There is a Final Battle coming, a battle that Time Force isn't likely to survive. Because the time line has shifted, there isn't much we know about it, but we do know that the four of you will be sent to the year 2007 to keep you safe in the event Time Force doesn't survive," he told them.

"Permission to speak freely sir," Amanda requested.

"Granted,"

"You want us to leave while Time Force is being destroyed? That's bullshit. I know there isn't much we can do here, but it seems to me that having as many people here to fight the good fight the better. I think I speak for everyone here when I say we won't leave our home knowing that we might be able to help save it," she said.

"I agree sir," Khalil said.

"Same here," Sasha added.

"I concur," KJ told him.

"Frankly, I admire your dedication to Time Force, but your feelings on this matter are irrelevant. If Time Force will have any hope of survival, the four of you must go the 21st century and await further instructions," he said.

"But what about the renegades we're suppose to face when we get there? And what about the two other rangers the history logs make reference to?" Khalil asked.

"I don't have anyone answers to give you. All I can tell you is that your survival is of the utmost importance to Time Force," he said.

_'Trip to Alex. Come in,'_ a voice said.

Alex reached for his morpher. "I'm in a meeting Trip, can it wait?" he asked.

_'No sir. The time line is shifting again, future history is being altered,'_ he told him.

"Source?"

_'Its happening in the year… 2007. Something is going on, and the energy readings are off the charts. Whatever is happening, its big,'_ he said.

He sighed. "Prepare the slipstream for…" he was cut short.

_'With the energy readings the way they are, opening the portal wouldn't be a good idea,'_ he said.

"What about the time ship?"

_'The chances of it making it through are a little better, but still not recommended. If an energy spike were to hit the ship, it would be destroyed,'_ he said.

"Do you have any other options?"

'I'm afraid not sir,' 

"I'll be down there in a moment. Alex out," he turned to the cadets. "Slight change of plans. Looks like we're going on our trip a little early," he said.

"But what about the energy spikes?" Khalil asked.

"Honestly, it's a chance we're going to have to take. If we do nothing, the past will be destroyed and the present will be erased from existence," Alex said.

"I am ready," KJ said, standing up.

"Same here," Sasha responded.

"I'm not too thrilled about wearing spandex, but I'm in," Amanda said.

"Well, someone is going to have to keep you ladies safe. I'm in," Khalil said.

"Alright, lets go," Alex told them.

*

The five of them walked into the cargo bay, where Trip was sitting in front of the controls. As soon as noticed the cadets in full Time Force uniforms, he stood up, making his way over to them.

"Graduated early I see," he mentioned.

"I've given each of them a field commission. Provided their mission is successful, they will return here to finish their training at the academy," Alex told him. "Report,"

"The energy surges are getting worse, and as best as I can tell, it's nothing natural. Whatever is causing them, it's intentional, and it's disrupting the subspace barriers," he said.

"Like the incident with Ransorg a few years ago?"

"No, this is on a much bigger scale. If these barriers were to collapse, it wouldn't allow alternate realities to merge, it would destroy that reality. All life in that universe would cease to exist in the blink of an eye," he said.

"How close are the barriers to collapse?"

"That's the good news. It would take nearly triple the power that's being generated now to collapse the barriers, so there's no immediate danger of the universe coming to an end. What you should be concerned about is the time line being changed. This energy buildup wasn't meant to happen, and it needs to be stopped before any real damage can be done to the time line," Trip explained.

"We'll do our best,"

"The time ship is ready for launch, but it's going to be a bumpy ride. Because of the buildup, we won't be able to communicate with you when you get there. Assuming you stop the buildup and subspace is returned to normal, we'll be able to come back for you," he said.

"So we're on our own," Sasha sighed.

"All of you were chosen for a reason. I have faith in you that you succeed in your mission, and the four of you will do your part to preserve the time line and save the future," Alex said.

"Alright, lets get going," Khalil said, making his way to the time ship.

The others followed suit, and when the hatch opened, the four of them stepped onboard. Before the door could close on the time ship, _he_ rushed into the cargo bay. "Am I late?" he asked.

"CaSteel? What are you doing here?" Alex asked.

"I asked Blake to go along, just in case. The cadets are good, but they'll need someone experienced to go with them," Trip said.

"And Blake was your first choice?"

"He was good enough to play a double agent, infiltrate Chyro Tech and help us shut them down. He's a skilled pilot, and he's a good fighter. I figured they could use his help," he said.

Alex nodded. "Okay, you're in, but I'm making you responsible for them. If something happens to my cadets, I'll…" he was cut short.

"Relax Al, I can handle it," Blake said, climbing into the time ship.

The door closed behind him, and Alex headed over to the controls with Trip. "Thrusters are on line, time circuits are enabled. It looks like we're ready," he said.

"If this doesn't work Trip, the world as he know it is over," Alex sighed.

"If this doesn't work, the time line will be altered and none of us will be here to worry about it," Trip told him as they watched the time ship lift off, and then disappeared into the vortex.

~~

**Preview: Induction**

Next time on Parallels II: After losing one of their own, the cadets must come to terms with the loss. Meanwhile, Tanya and Gabrielle Myers make the final adjustments on the new power morphers.

_~~_


	32. Induction

**_Disclaimer: _**_Power Rangers Time Force and all related logos are property of Disney and/or Saban Entertainment. I am using them without permission. KJ Sheldon, Lt. James Emery, Trinity Oliver, Admiral Summers, Sasha Regis, Blake CaSteel, Khalil Taylor, Theo Johnson III, Camille Summers, Leo Claw and the "Omega Project" are property of yours truly. Gaby appears courtesy of Cmar!_

_Sorry it took me so long to finally update. By now, updates will come frequently until the end of the series. Thanks to all of you who have been patient, and sending me emails wondering when I'd be posting again. A dedicated face base makes writing worth wild._

_Take a minute to leave a review, I live for'em!!_

~~

"All of you were chosen for a reason. I have faith in you that you succeed in your mission, and the four of you will do your part to preserve the time line and save the future," Alex said.

"Alright, lets get going," Khalil said, making his way to the time ship.

The others followed suit, and when the hatch opened, the four of them stepped onboard. Each of them took their seats on the ship, and KJ turned to the main control panel. "The time circuits are on line, and I am beginning the launch procedures," she said.

"Everyone buckle it!" Sasha said, reaching for her safety harness.

"You guys weren't trying to leave without me, were you?" they heard a voice say.

They each turned to the entrance, where they saw _him._

"Who are you?" Amanda asked.

"CaSteel. Blake CaSteel," he sat down in the empty seat on the time ship, fastening himself in. "Al thought you guys might need some help," he told them.

"Where we're going, we're going to need all the help we can get," Sasha said.

"Sequence complete, commencing launch procedures in ten seconds," KJ said as the entrance closed. The viewer inside the ship blinked on as the ship it lifted off. Within seconds, the cargo bay door opened, and the time ship headed out.

"This is it," Khalil sighed.

Suddenly, the ship began to shake. "There is a problem. The navigational sensors are off line, attempting to compensate," KJ warned.

"Wait, what does that mean?"

"It means that if we can't get control of the ship, we won't make it through the wormhole," Amanda said.

"Reroute emergency power to the navigational sensors," Blake said.

"Negative, the main circuit board seems to be damaged. I am unable to reroute," she said.

"There has to be something we can do," Sasha said.

"There is," KJ opened a small panel on her arm, pulling out a wire and connecting it to the ship. "Attempting a manual override of the navigational systems," she said.

"If something goes wrong, you'll be…"

"I am aware of the risks," she paused. "Manual override established. Navigational sensors are on line. Setting a course for the wormhole," she announced.

Each of them turned their attention to the view screen as the ship moved closer into the vortex. Soon, the ship headed inside.

On the view screen, each of them was able to watch as the traveled through the vortex. Just then, there was an explosion at one of the control panels. It was Blake to unbuckled his safety harness, doing his best to keep his balance as he checked on the controls. 

"It was an energy spike, we've been hit. The time circuits were damaged," he said.

"Can they be repaired?" Amanda asked.

Again, an energy spike, forcing all of them to jerk forward, struck the ship. "Damn it, another one. That one knocked out our primary systems," he said.

"KJ, can you…" Khalil's sentence trailed off as he saw KJ slumped over in front of the controls. "Oh no," he quickly unbuckled his harness, hurrying over to her. "The connection she made to the ship must have overloaded her when we were hit by the energy spike," he sighed.

"We've got bigger problems kids. Our destination is still 2007, but all primary functions are off line. We won't be able to land the ship once we clear the vortex," Blake said.

"We might be able to do a manual override on the emergency hatch," Sasha said.

"You mean jump?" Blake asked.

"Once we're clear of the vortex, we pop the hatch and make a jump for it. Staying on the ship would be suicide," she pointed out.

"Shes got a point,"

"What about KJ? We can't just leave her here," Amanda said.

"Blake and I will carry her. Sasha, we'll be clearing the vortex is about 60 seconds, do what you can to get that hatch opened on my command," Khalil said.

"I'm on it," she said, turning to the controls.

Blake and Khalil unbuckled KJ from her seat, but were having a hard time picking her up. "Funny, she doesn't _look_ that heavy," he sighed.

"She's an android," he added.

"We're clearing the vortex is 40 seconds. What's your progress Sasha?" Khalil asked.

"I've established manual override. I'm ready to pop the hatch,"

"Good. Amanda, can you determine _where_ we're going to end up?" he asked.

"No, the sensors are off line. We could end up over the city for all I know," she said.

"Come on, they always end up at the beach in the history logs. Lets just cross our fingers and hope we land near water," Khalil said.

"Ten seconds," she said.

"Everyone ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Amanda sighed.

"Okay Sasha, on my mark," he turned to the controls. "5…4…3…2…1… now!" he screamed.

Sasha activated the emergency hatch, and then quickly jumped. Amanda was quick to follow her, but Khalil and Blake were having a hard time carrying KJ.

"We have to leave her!" Blake yelled, trying to talk over the noise of air being sucked out the emergency hatch.

"No! She's one of us!" he screamed, still pulling her.

He put KJ on his back, holding on as tight as he could, and then lunged for the emergency hatch. Finally, Blake made a jump for it, and within seconds, the time ship collided with a mountain, and exploded.

*

Sasha sat up in a cold sweat, only to discover she was in an infirmary of some kind. It was fairly dim, and as far as she could tell, there wasn't very much medical equipment around. The disorientation got the best of her, and she was forced to lie back down, holding her head in pain. She tried to recall the incidents leading up to this moment, but was drawing a blank.

"Relex cadet, everything is going to be okay. You had a nasty accident," she heard a voice say.

It took all the power she could muster to turn her head, trying to get a good look at the person. Though her vision was a bit blurry, she did her best to figure out who it was. "Captain Collins?" she mumbled. "What happened?"

He sat on the edge of the bed, holding her hand slightly. "No, I'm _Wesley_ Collins. You're in the year 2007," he told her.

That's when it hit her. _'We were in the time ship. There was a problem, and we had to jump,'_ she recalled. 

"Where are the others?" she sighed.

"They're here, all of them are fine. You took a big risk jumping from the time ship before it exploded, but if you hadn't, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now," he mentioned.

"KJ? Where is she?"

"You mean the android, right? I'm afraid there isn't much we can do for her here. From what we can tell, her primary power conduit was overloaded, and we can reinitialize her matrix. I'm sorry," he sighed.

"Oh no," she sighed as a tear rolled down her face. "She did it to save us all,"

"And she did. When we found you, you were face down on the beach. The others were in the ocean, and the time ship was completely destroyed. Based on the wreckage we found of the time ship was able to analyze, there was a malfunction on the ship, and the android used her own systems to stabilize the ship long enough for you to get through the vortex," he explained.

"There was a problem with the navigational sensors," she recalled.

"Well, when you're feeling up to it, you can join me on the training grounds. I suspect Time Force sent you here because…" he was cut short as Sasha tried to sit up again.

"The renegades are here!" she screamed.

"The who?"

"Renegade rangers. The time line is being altered, we have to stop them," she said.

"Renegades? They haven't been any rangers here for a long time, especially renegade rangers," he told her.

She paused. "The malfunction in the time ship must have sent us back to a point in time _before_ the renegades arrived. That gives us a tactical advantage," she said.

"So you're saying there's going to be an invasion?"

"All I know is that renegade rangers are on their way here, and its up to us to stop them," Sasha said, forcing herself to sit up. "Where are the others?"

"They're in the observation lounge along with Eric and a few of the other Silver Guardians," he said.

"Take me to them,"

*

Khalil, Amanda and Blake sat in the observation lounge, simply waited. Since arriving, no one had mentioned anything about the renegade rangers, the condition of Sasha, or what happened to KJ. Eric Myers sat across from them, his facial expression never changing.

Khalil couldn't help but compare it to the same emotionless expression he'd seen on the face of Counsel Member Collins a million times before.

"So…" Amanda sighed, breaking the silence between them. "Seems like just yesterday that we were here,"

"Actually, it was about two weeks ago," one of the guardians mentioned.

"Really? That's it?"

"Yeah,"

"That will be all Lt. Cooper," Eric snapped.

"Yes sir," he acknowledged, walking out the room.

"I'm not sure why you guys are here, but…" he was cut short as Blake stood up.

"We need to know where our friends are. We don't have to time to see here and stare at each other," he snapped.

"If it weren't for us, you'd still be face down in the sand outside the city. Now I suggest you have a seat and wait for…" he was cut short again.

"We don't have time for this. Something is coming, something you couldn't possibly understand. And its…" 

"Let me guess: some immortal asshole, or some mutant attack? Oh wait, maybe its mutorgs again, or some sort of cyborg invasion? Listen kid, I was out saving the world hundreds of years before you were born, so don't lecture me on things I wouldn't understand," Eric told him.

"If I don't stop him now, he'll start telling you about how his childhood was," a voice said.

They all looked up as _she_ walked into the room, making her way over to them. She wore a light lab coat, a pair of glasses and had her hair pinned up.

"Damn it Gabriella, not now," he sighed.

"I'll take it from here honey, but I'm sure there's something on the fifth level who you haven't been rude to today, and we wouldn't want them to feel left out," she said. As Eric stood up, she kissed him on the cheek. Eric couldn't help but crack a half smile, then walk out the room. "So, the fact that you're here means its about to happen," she walked over to the table, sitting in Eric's seat. "Its good to see you all again," she said.

"You too Mrs. Myers," she paused. "This is Blake CaSteel," Amanda introduced.

Blake nodded, and Gabriella acknowledged him with a simple nod. "I was sorry to hear about your android friend. Her technology is years ahead of even our best scientists, but if there's a way to revive her, we'll do our best to find it," she said.

"Thank you,"

"According to the reports Jen gave us during your last visit, there is suppose to be some kind of attack, and that Time Force would be sending a group of rangers and a mentor. Other than that, we don't know much about it," she said.

"Wait, a mentor?" Khalil asked.

"Yes, Jen told us about a new concept in Time Force. A veteran ranger would be chosen to accompany the new rangers and assist them, but we weren't told who the mentor would be," she said.

"Everything happened so fast, we just left as soon as we could," Amanda said.

"The fact that nothing has happened yet means we'll have a chance to stop it from happening. If we can find the renegades before they're allowed to alter the time line, we may be able to prevent the invasion from ever happening," she said.

"I'm afraid it's not that easy. A series of events have already taken place, and if this invasion is meant to happen, it will. All you may be able to do is prolong the inevitable. The invasion will happen, and it will be up to you to stop it," Mrs. Myers told them.

 "That's what we're here for," Sasha said as she walked into the room.

"Sasha, you made it," Khalil said.

"It'll make more than a little explosion to stop me," she giggled.

At that moment, there was an explosion, and the entire building shook as a result. Amanda fell out of her chair, and when she got to her feet, she could see what was left of one of the buildings through the window. There were people rushing away from the building as it burned, and groups of Silver Guardians were on hand attempting to contain the fire.

"It's happening," Amanda sighed.

"Mrs. Myers, I had to rush you, but I think we'll be needing those morphers now," Khalil said.

"All of you, come with me," she said, making her way out the room.

*

"Now remember, you'll need to read chapters seven, eight and nine and study the research questions. This _will_ be on the finals, so I suggest you…" she was cut short as there was an explosion outside the school.

It was enough to shake the entire building, and some of the students fell out of their seats. Trinity made it back to her feet, rushing towards the window. _'The explosion came from Bio-Lab,'_ she thought to herself.

She quickly glanced up at the clock, and realizing there was still over twenty minutes left of class, she knew that the teacher wouldn't let her leave early without an excuse. "Um, Ms. Enrile, I need to…" she was cut short.

"I know Trinity, go," she sighed.

It surprised her that Ms. Enrile was so understanding about it, but didn't have time to speculate as to why. "Thanks," she said, rushing out the classroom.

*

Gaby led them down the hallway, stopping at a room at the end of the hall. She quickly pressed her hand against the plate, and within seconds, a green light came from the ceiling, scanning her. _'Scan complete. You may enter,'_ the computer announced.

The door opened, and they all stepped inside. The room itself was huge, with machinery and equipment along the walls. There were workstations in the middle of the room, but one of the stations was much bigger than the others. Gaby headed over the biggest station in the room, using a key to open a drawer. The drawer slid open, and she reached inside, pulling out a small box.

"With help from Angela Rowlins, we were able to modify the rescue morphers from Operation: Lightspeed, giving them a great deal more power. The initial tests on the rescue morphers were actually conducted by TJ and the Astro rangers about a year before Operation Lightspeed was approved. Though they may not be as advanced as the Chrono morpher or the Quantum controller, they are the most sophisticated morphers ever created by man," she explained, opening the box and allowing each of them to get a good look.

"Awesome," Amanda sighed.

"Amanda Scotts, the pink rescue morpher is yours," Gaby said, presenting it to her.

Amanda put the morpher on her wrist, taking a moment to admire it. Part of her was pleased that she was given the same color as her older sister, but was still concerned about living up to the reputation that Jen had set. "Thank you," she sighed.

"Mr. CaSteel, the blue rescue morpher belongs to you,"

Blake slid the morpher on his wrist, getting a good look at it. 

"Sasha, the yellow rescue morpher goes to you," Gaby said.

Sasha couldn't help but crack a smile as she put her morpher on. She'd hoped for the green morpher, like her brother, but was determined to do the best she could.

"Khalil Taylor, the green morpher is…" she was cut short.

"Wait a sec, I'm not getting the red morpher?" he asked.

"No,"

"Why not? Who's going to be the leader?" Khalil asked.

"That would be me," they heard a voice say. They all turned around as Trinity walked into the room, picking up the red morpher and putting it on her wrist. "I'd almost forgotten what it felt like to have a morpher," she said.

"Who put you in charge?" he asked.

"Listen, we don't have time for this. My dad and Jen warned us about a threat that was on its way here, and the last thing we need to be doing id fighting amongst ourselves. I'm in command because I've been a ranger before, and out of everyone here, I've clocked more field time than anyone. Now you can either follow my lead, or we'll find someone else for the green morpher," she explained.

"There has never been a female red ranger in Power Rangers history," he pointed out.

"You of all people should know that history can be changed," she retorted.

Khalil stood face to face with Trinity. Though he was considerably taller than her, she refused to back down from him.

"Guys, come on," Amanda sighed.

Finally, Khalil took a step back. "Fine," he groaned.

"Wasn't there another rescue morpher?" Sasha asked, quickly changing the subject.

"Yes, the Titanium morpher. Unfortunately, it requires a much more substantial amount of power to activate, and we haven't been able to calibrate it to a point where it won't damage the wearer. It will be a while before we're able to use it again," Gaby explained.

At that moment, Wes rushed into the room. "Guys, there are two rangers wearing some kind of armor attacking Bio-Lab. The Silver Guardians are doing their best, but we're getting our butts kicked," he said, struggling to catch his breath.

"That's our cue guys, lets go," Trinity said.

*  
  


The five of them rushed out to the training grounds, where the Silver Guardians were taking a serious pounding. There were unconscious bodies scattered throughout the grounds, and there was a smoke so thick that they could barely see anything.

There were a few guardians still on their feet, but not many. Trinity hurried over to one of them. "Max, get the injured guardians to the hospital, we'll take it from here," she told him.

"You got it," he said.

The five of them stood in next to one another, and as the smoke cleared, they were able to make out the silhouettes of two figures. Soon, the smoke was completely dissipated, and they were able to get a good look at them.

There were two rangers, but unlike any rangers any of them had seen before. One was green, the other was pink, but both were armor that covered their entire bodies, and each had a saber in their hand. While the green ranger was much taller, the pink ranger was much more slender.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Amanda asked, taking a step forward.

The two rangers remained silent, but it was the pink ranger who stepped forward, swinging her saber. Amanda managed to side step it, but the pink ranger caught her with an elbow to the side of the head, knocking her to her knees. The pink ranger then kicked her in the chest, sending her to the ground. Sasha and Khalil hurried over to her, helping her up.

"You okay?"

"Other than the headache, yeah," she sighed.

"Alright guys, lets do it," Trinity announced. _"TIME FOR, LIGHTSPEED,"_ she called out, and within seconds, was transformed into the red ranger.

"You heard the lady," Khalil said. The four of them stood side by side, reaching for their morphers. _"TIME FOR, LIGHTSPEED,"_ they said in unison, transforming into rangers.

Khalil and Blake went after the green ranger, double-teaming him with a double sabat kick, but they went right through him. They both turned around, watching in amazement as the green ranger appeared to be transparent, but quickly became solid again, grabbing both of them by their throats and lifting them up.

Before he could do anything, Sasha called for her saber, throwing it at the green ranger. It connected with his chest, but simply bounced off the armor. That gave Blake enough time to squirm free, landing a sweep that knocked the green ranger off his feet. Khalil swung his saber, but the green ranger blocked it with his arm, but spun around, giving both Khalil and Blake a sweep. Before they could even fall to the ground, the green ranger landed a double kick, sending them up against the building. Khalil and Blake layed on the ground, powering down as they struggled to get back to their feet.

Sasha, Amanda and Trinity ganged up on the pink ranger, but couldn't get the upper hand. Trnity tried for a kick, but the pink ranger caught her foot, swinging her around and sending her crashing into Sasha. Amanda stood firm, calling for her saber.

"Alright pinky, its just you and me," she said.

"As you wish," the pink ranger agreed, calling for her saber as well.

Both of them swung, but found themselves in a standstill. Amanda stood a step back, swinging again, but the pink ranger blocked with her forearm, then swung her saber. Amanda dodged it, then kicked the saber out the pink rangers hand. She did a flip over the pink ranger, grabbing the saber in mid air, then landed behind her. Before the pink ranger could turn around, Amanda caught her with a saber to the back, followed by a second one, forcing the pink ranger to stumble forward. She turned around, and Amanda caught her with the saber again, but on the next attempt, the pink ranger caught the saber, snatching it away from Amanda. 

Before Amanda had a chance to react, the pink ranger struck her in the chest with the saber, forcing her to power down as she fell to the ground. With all the rangers down, the pink and green ranger proceeded towards Bio-Lab.

"We have to stop them," Trinity groaned, making it back to her feet.

"If you haven't noticed, we're seriously outmatched. We're going to need some help," Blake said.

The two renegade rangers were only a few feet away from the entrance when _he_ stepped out, stopping them from going any further. "That's as far as you get you two," he warned.

"Out of our way," the green ranger moaned.

"I don't think so," he said, reaching for his morpher. _"QUANTUM POWER!!" _he called out, transforming into the Quantum ranger. He called for the Quantum Defender, but before he had a chance to use it, the green ranger knocked it out his hand. As it fell to the ground, the pink ranger grabbed it, aimed and fired, hitting the Quantum Ranger in the chest. On impact, he was forced to power down, falling unconscious to the ground.

With the Quantum Defender still in hand, she picked Eric up, aiming the weapon at his head. "Do as your told, or the Quantum Ranger will be destroyed,"

"That's bullsh…" Trinity, who grabbed his arm, pulling him back, cut Khalil short.

"Fine, you win," she sighed.

"What?!" he snapped.

"If we don't listen to them, they'll kill Eric," she said.

"I'm willing to bet that they'll kill him anyway," Amanda brought up.

"We'll play by their rules, for now," she instructed.

The green ranger motioned for them to follow, and the five of them cautiously headed into the building. The two renegade rangers led them down the hall, making them way into the third door on the right. As they walked inside, Sasha noticed both Wes and Gabriella blindfolded and handcuffed to a metal pole up against the wall.

"This is the main power generator. It powers every system in Bio-Lab," Trinity noted. "What do you want in here?"

The green ranger responded with a backhand, knocking Trinity to her knees. "You are in no position to ask questions ranger," he snapped.

The pink ranger motioned for the rangers to stand along the wall, and the green ranger cuffed them to the pole as well.

"You won't get away with this you sick bastards," Khalil snapped, trying to snatch free from his restraints, but was unsuccessful.

It was the green ranger who walked over to him, removing his helmet, allowing Khalil to get a good look at him. He had light brown eyes, short brown hair and a slight mustache. At first glance, he seemed familiar, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. "You don't understand ranger, not only will we get away with it, you will help us," he told him. 

"That's where you're wrong. We'll never help you!" Amanda snapped.

Without saying a word, the green ranger pulled a small device from his waist, placing it on the main reactor in the middle of the room. He connected it, and then pressed a white switch. As soon as he did, the device became transparent.

"It's a isotropic bomb," Trinity sighed.

"A what?"

"An isotropic bomb, when detonated, will be able to create a rift in the space/time continuum," Gaby noted.

Just then, the green ranger put his helmet back on, turning to the pink ranger. "We've done what we came to do. Lets go," he told her.

The pink ranger nodded, and the two of them pressed a small button on their forearm. Within seconds, there was a flash of light, and they disappeared.

"Okay, for those of us playing along at home, anyone wanna tell me what's going on?" Sasha asked.

"When that bomb goes off, it'll tear a hole in the fabric of time and space. Granted, the hole will be a very small one, but it will feed off the radiation coming from the reactor and open even wider," Trinity said.

"In theory, a rift that size would be able to suck this entire building into the rift," Wes mentioned.

"Yes, but that's the least of our problems. The rift will eventually feed off the radiation coming from the morphers, and it will be enough to envelope the entire city," Gaby added.

"So you mean we created the problem we were sent here to prevent?" Blake asked.

"In a sense, yes. If we can disable the bomb from going off, we should be able to…" she was cut short.

"Sounds good, but we've got another problem. The bomb looks like its phased," Amanda said.

"Phased?" Gaby inquired.

"It's a technology from the future. It speeds up the molecular structure about .05 seconds, allowing it to exist in our time, but slightly phased. Its there, but while its phased, everything will go straight through it," Blake said.

"So what do we do?"

"The only thing we can do is get out of here before the bomb goes off. At the very least, Bio-Lab and everything in here will be destroyed, but the space/time continuum will be safe," Trinity said.

"Sorry, but that isn't very comforting," Khalil sighed.

"So, anyone got any bright ideas on how to get out of here?" Blake asked.

"I've got one," she paused, and within seconds, was able to break free of her handcuffs. "By a show of hands, who wants to get outta here?" Sasha asked.

"Very funny," Wes sighed.

"There's no time to free us all. If I'm right, that bomb will detonate in a matter of seconds. Just take our morphers and get out of here," Trinity said.

"I won't leave you here,"

"You have to. It's the only way to stop the rift from destroying the entire city," she said.

At that moment, the bomb began to light up, and there was a slight humming noise. Sasha looked at the bomb, and then back to the others, who were still cuffed to the pole. "I'm sorry," she sighed, quickly going around the room, removing their morphers. 

Once she was able to gather them all, she headed for the door. She was inches away from leaving, but paused, turning to them again. "I can't just leave all of you here to die," she cried.

"You have to. Just go!" Trinity screamed.

With a tear in her eye, Sasha rushed out the door, refusing to look back…

… and entire building exploded.

~~

**Preview: Prelude to war**

Next time on Parallels II: With the past left in ruins, the renegade rangers set their sites on the 31st century.

_~~_

coming soon: **_ENDGAME_**


	33. Prelude to war

**_Disclaimer: _**_Power Rangers Time Force and all related logos are property of Disney and/or Saban Entertainment. I am using them without permission. KJ Sheldon, Lt. James Emery, Trinity Oliver, A.I.S.H.A., Admiral Summers, Camille Summers, Leo Claw and the "Omega Project" are property of yours truly. Sierra appears courtesy of… well, Sierra. _

_Please take a moment to review. I live for reviews!!_

~~~

He'd been in bed for hours, simply staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep. The room was completely dark, with the exception of the moonlight that shined through his window. He was surrounded by silence, losing himself in his thoughts.

_'She's right,'_ he told himself. _'We were apart for four years, there's no reason we can't be together now.'_ It had taken him years to finally get over losing her and move on with his life, burying himself in his work. He became cold and distant, not allowing himself to feel anything for anyone. After losing Jen, it only got worse for him. _'But now, Sierra and I can be together. Yeah, Time Force is going through a rough transition, but they'll always be some kind of invasion, or an attack, or some impending doom that we have to deal with. That shouldn't be any reason for us to be apart,'_ he thought.

If that wasn't enough, thoughts of the "Final Battle" plagued his thoughts. _'What is it? Will we be able to stop it?'_ he thought to himself. It had been a little over eight hours since he sent Blake and the cadets to the past, hoping to prevent the time line from shifting, but he couldn't help but think that maybe the cadets were in over their heads. _'They have the training, but none of them have the field time or experience to take on a mission like this,'_ he thought.

Just then, his thoughts were broken as he heard a voice. It was extremely faint, but it was enough to catch his attention. On instinct, he reached under his pillow for his disrupters, and with one in each hand, sat up and aimed at the direction the noise came from.

"Is that the way you greet all of your guests Mr. Collins? No wonder you sleep alone," a voice said from the darkness.

"Lights," he called out. As the lights came on, he got a good look at her. "Yes, this is the usual greeting that uninvited guests get when they come in my personal quarters at five in the morning," he put the disrupters down. "What can I do for _now_ Admiral Summers?" he inquired.

"I come with grave news Alexander. It is imperative that you come with me," she said.

Alex had already slid out of bed, sliding into his pants. "Go with you? Where?" he asked her.

"To the future,"

*

"Hand me the spectral phase aligner," Camille said, simply sticking her hand out from under the control panel.

Katie quickly reached into Camille's bag of equipment, looking for the phase aligner. "What does it look like?" she asked.

"It has a black handle and three metal tips on the end," she told her.

"Ah," she picked it up, handing it to her. "Here you go. So what are you working on anyway?" she inquired.

"Just a major upgrade for the computer systems. If this works, it will change the way to do things in the lab forever," she told her.

"Shouldn't Trip be down here helping you?"

"He was, but I sent him to bed about three hours ago. I just wanted to get this done. The sooner we do, the sooner we can get the internal sensors back on line," she mentioned.

"So what is the revolutionary new technology you have for us?"

"Hand me the circuit board on the table over there," she paused as Katie picked it up, handing it to her, and then went back to her work. "Up until now, we depended on the computer run our basic functions, but it still had to be programmed. If something went wrong, it meant taking the entire system apart to find out what was wrong, then repair the damage and reassemble it. If the hardware I installed does what I want it to, it will eliminate the need for random systems checks and routine repair work," she told her.

"What? The computer will fix itself?" 

"Exactly," Camille said proudly.

"What? How?"

"There, I think that's it," she slid from under the control panel, dusting herself off. "Contact Alex and the other rangers, its time to show'em what this thing can do," she said.

Katie reached for her morpher. "Katie to rangers, please report to the science lab at once," she said, then turned to Camille. "Do you ever miss it?"

"What?"

"Being a ranger? Being out there in the field?" she asked. "I remember after our initial mission to the 21st century, Time Force had us on the streets rounding up common criminals. It was frustration to be so close to the _real_ action, but not being a part of it," she pointed out.

"I miss being a ranger, yes, but I get my fair share of action. The other day I went to the 21st century to help the Ninja Storm rangers. I still get my chance to get out in the field," she said.

"I suppose so,"

"Besides, I'm doing a lot of good down in the special projects division. Because of the work I do down there, it makes it easier for you guys to do your jobs," she said.

Just then, the doors to the science lab opened as Lucas and Trip walked in, each of them making their way towards Katie.

"What's going on?" Lucas asked.

"I just got to sleep. Couldn't this have waited until my shift started in a few hours?" Trip inquired.

"It could have, but this is big,"

Next, Lt. Emery, Adam and Nadira walked into the lad, heading over to the others.

"What's all this about?" Adam asked, yawning and wiping his eyes.

"I have something to show all of you, something that will revolutionize how we…" she paused, glancing around the room. "Wait, where is Alex?" Camille asked.

Each of them looked around surprised that Alex wasn't the first person to show up. It was Lt. Emery who reached for his morpher. "Lt. Emery to Alex, come in," he said.

There was no response.

"Computer, what is the location of Counsel Member Collins?" Lucas asked.

There was no response.

"What the hell is going on?" Nadira asked.

"The computer can't respond because I had it off line while I was working," Camille said, walking over to the controls. "This isn't how I wanted to show you guys, but this will be a good trail run for my program," she said.

Just then, a woman materialized in front of them. Adam was the first to recognize her. "Aisha?" he asked in amazement.

"In a manner of speaking yes. This is A.I.S.H.A; Artificially Intelligent System Hardware Application," Camille introduced. "Or A.I.S.H.A for short," she added.

"But why can I see through her?" Nadira asked.

"Shes a hologram, but programmed to be self aware. She'll be able to handle most of the major functions in the science lab," she said.

"Can she tell us where Alex is?" James asked.

Camille turned back to the computer, inputting a series of commands. "She operates on vocal commands, which will eliminate the need to work in front of the computer in the traditional sense," she said.

"And it's just an amazing coincidence that she looked like Aisha Campbell?" Adam asked her.

"No, that was intentional," Camille admitted, then turned to the hologram. "A.I.S.H.A, are your internal sensors on line?" she asked.

_'Affirmative. Internal sensors are on line,'_ she responded.

"What is the location of Counsel Member Collins?" she inquired.

'Alex is not in the building. He left at 0511 hours,' 

"Where did he go?" Lucas asked.

"And why didn't he take his morpher?" Trip added.

_'Alex' destination is unknown, and according to my sensor sweep of his quarters, he did take his morpher with him,'_ A.I.S.H.A said.

"So why isn't he answering?"

_'There appears to be a residual traces of a temporal flux coming from his quarters. That suggests that he went through an interdimensional vortex of some kind,' _she said.

"From his quarters?" Trip asked.

"Can you tell us where the vortex originated from?" Adam asked.

_'The vortex doesn't match any conventional means of interdimensional travel done from Time Force. The techonology involved seems to be far beyond anything on record,' _A.I.S.H.A told them.

"Alex went to the future?"

_'Apparently so,'_ she said.

"Can you get a lock on him and teleport him back?" Trip asked.

'Negative, unable to establish a lock,' 

"Can you open a vortex to the exact origin that the original vortex came from?" James asked.

_'That would required an established lock, which again, I am unable to do,'_ A.I.S.H.A said.

"Whatever happened, they went through a lot of trouble to make sure that we wouldn't be able to track him," Trip said.

"So what do we do?"

"I'll work with A.I.S.H.A on finding a way to get a lock on Alex' morpher and teleport him back. Adam, get to Alex' quarters and see if there were signs of a struggle. Maybe he was taken against his will," Camille said.

"I'm on it," Adam said as he rushed out the lab.

"What about the rest of us?" James asked.

"Just stay on standby. When we do find out what happened to Alex, you need to be ready to make your move on a moments notice," she said.

James nodded.

*

The two of them materialized in front a building… or at least what was left of it. The sky itself was dark, but Alex quickly noticed it wasn't naturally dark. There were buildings everywhere, all of them on fire and burnt to the ground already. There were bodies scattered through out the area, most of them burned, others covered in blood.

"What is this place?" he asked.

"Welcome to the future. The year is 3030, and this is New Silvers Hills, California," she told him.

"But how can that be? What happened here?"

"War, a terrible war. Millions of innocents were killed, not just in the city, but all over the world. The rangers did their best to defend us, but ultimately fell as well. This is what's left of Time Force headquarters. There are only a handful of us now, doing our best to resist, but I'm afraid it isn't won't be enough to stop them," she said.

"Them? Who are they?" he turned to her. "Camille, you have to tell me what happened here," he insisted. "Does this have anything to do with the final battle?" he inquired, recalling what Khalil told him a few days ago.

"Yes. Two renegade rangers from our own time went rogue, and with reinforcements and supplies from other realities, staged a mutiny, traveled back to your point in history and eventually destroyed Time Force," she sighed.

"But how?"

"There was a temporal explosion of some kind. The explosion was enough to send a shockwave through the entire universe, destroying everything in his way. A rift in the space/time continuum opens in the past, a rift so big that the past, present and future collide, annihilating everything," she explained.

"You said something about a temporal explosion. Our sensors detected an energy spike in the past, and if it isn't stopped, it would lead to a temporal explosion, but Trip insisted it wasn't strong enough to do any serious damage,"

"He was correct, one explosion wouldn't be enough. It took three explosions to cause the damage you see here," she said.

"But that doesn't make sense. If they came from the future and did this, coming to the past would alter future history and they would be destroyed as well. It would be as if the entire invasion never happened," he mentioned.

"You're correct, but the invasion force are rangers. Evil rangers. Because of the levels of radiation they're morphers emit, the shifts in the time line does not effect them. Through out the entire invasion, they never made demands, never made it known what they were after, they simply came in and began destroying everything and everyone in their way," she sighed.

"I can't believe that rangers would do this, it just isn't possible," he said, looking around at the destruction.

"That's what you said for years, even after they murdered Tommy and captured Jen, taking her to a interrogation camp. You refused to believe that anyone who was entrusted with the power of ranger technology would be capable of something like this, and it wasn't until they murdered Sierra in cold blood that you realized…" she was cut short.

"The others? Did they survive?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Trip and I survived, and there were a handful of others. Everyone else is gone," she sighed.

"Me? What happened to me?"

"You were killed about a year ago. When got word that Jen and Tommy's children were being held on an alternate reality, and you tried to lead an assault against the rangers, but failed. James managed to escape; bringing your body back with him, but by then, it was too late. There was nothing we could do for you," she told him.

"Why are you telling me this?" he asked.

"By telling you what to expect, you should be able to prevent this from ever happening and save history, future history. Stop the temporal explosion," she said.

"How? What do you want me to do?"

"Any day now, your time, will you receive a distress call from an alternate reality, they'll claim to be under attack by a race of beings called the Leorians, and they need immediate assistance. What you don't know is that the Leorian race was the first to be conquered by the rangers and they're setting a trap for you. Nadira and Katie will be sent to help the Leorians, and they will be the first of countless millions to be slaughtered as a result. The renegades will then go to your point in time and will quickly take control of the lab, then use the slipstream to bring reinforcements from other realities. Within a in few years time, everything and everyone will be destroyed," she explained.

"Its been a while since I've been in temporal mechanics, but a sub-space rift, even influenced by the radiation emitted from the morphers wouldn't be enough to annihilate the entire world," he brought up.

"You're right, it will take three. Three distinct rifts opened in the exact same place, each being exposed to radiation from the morphers,"

"Three? But we only detected one energy spike," he said. "And how will the renegades be able to produce three rifts and all of them be exposed to radiation from the morphers?" he asked.

"I don't know," she admitted.

"So if you were no match for them in the future, what makes you think I'll be able to do anything to stop them?" Alex asked.

"You won't have to stop them, simply prevent the incident from ever happening. Whatever you do, do not respond to the distress call," she said.

"But by telling me this, isn't history changed. Maybe the invasion won't even happen," she said.

"You're trying to be optimistic about a situation that results in the death of nearly everyone on the planet. I know what you're thinking, that maybe you'll skip the wrong distress call, resulting in the death of innocent lives on another world. I'm telling you, whatever you do, do not accept any distress calls. If you do, this will be the result," Camille warned.

He sighed. "I understand,"

"I have just enough power to send you home. If you're successful, none of this will have happened and the future will be saved," she said.

"I'll do my best,"

"I know you will," she sighed, pulling a small device out her pocket, handing it to him. "This will get you home. Good luck Alex," 

*

"A.I.S.H.A, tie in the internal sensors to the long range sensors, see if that will be enough to pin point Alex' location," Camille said, still sitting in front of the computer screen.

_'I have already tied both systems in, and the scans proved to be unsuccessful. We are simply unable to scan beyond our own time,'_ she told her.

"There has to be a way to bring him back,"

_'If there is, we'll find it,' _A.I.S.H.A. assured her.

"Wait, what's this," she turned to the screen. "We're picking up an incoming transmission. It's a distress call," she said.

_'My sensors indicate the distress call is coming from an alternate reality. The call is from Time Force, they are under attack by a race of beings known as the Leorians,'_ she said.

"We have to help them, but we have to find Alex, too," Camille said.

"We'll go. Just contact us if you find Alex," Katie said, stepping forward.

"Good idea. Nadira, go with her. If you need reinforcements, contact us and we'll see what we can do," she said.

_'I have the coordinates set and I'm activating the slipstream portal now,' _A.I.S.H.A. said.

Within seconds, the portal opened, and the two of them stepped through. As soon as the portal closed, there was a stream of light, and _he_ appeared.

"Whoa," he mumbled, struggling to get his balance.

"Alex! You're okay," Camille said, rushing over to him, helping him get his footing. "We've been looking all over for you,"

"I just got an interesting visit from Admiral Summers. She warned me about an evil group of rangers from the future who plan to invade and take over the past, rewriting history as they go," he said.

"Did she tell you how to stop it?"

"Yes. She warned me that they'll be a distress call, and that one event will trigger the beginning of an all out invasion," Alex said.

Camille paused. "A distress call? It wouldn't by chance have anything to do with the Leorians, would it?" she asked.

"As a matter of fact it…" he glanced over at the screen, getting a look at the incoming transmission. "Oh no," he sighed. "It's begun,"

~~

**Preview: Endgame**

Next time on Parallels II: With history already set into motion, the rangers prepare to face their gravest challenge… the Power Rangers.

_~~_


	34. Endgame

**_Disclaimer: _**_Power Rangers Time Force and all related logos are property of Disney and/or Saban Entertainment. I am using them without permission. KJ Sheldon, Lt. James Emery, Trinity Oliver, A.I.S.H.A., Admiral Summers, Camille Summers, Leo Claw and the "Omega Project" are property of yours truly. Sierra appears courtesy of… well, Sierra. _

_Please take a moment to review. I live for reviews!!_

  
  
"We're picking up an incoming transmission. It's a distress call," Camille said.

_'My sensors indicate the distress call is coming from an alternate reality. The call is from Time Force, they are under attack by a race of beings known as the Leorians,'_ A.I.S.H.A. said.

"We have to help them, but we have to find Alex, too," she said.

"We'll go. Just contact us if you find Alex," Katie said, stepping forward.

"Good idea. Nadira, go with her. If you need reinforcements, contact us and we'll see what we can do," she said.

_'I have the coordinates set and I'm activating the slipstream portal now,' _A.I.S.H.A. said.

Within seconds, the portal opened, and the two of them stepped through.

The two of them stepped through the portal, finding themselves in a room of some kind. It was, at first glance, an industrial warehouse of some kind, but the entire warehouse was empty. There was no equipment, no people, nothing.

"What the hell?" Katie inquired, glancing around.

"Hello??" Nadira called out, her voice echoing through the building.

Katie reached for the morpher. "Camille, this is Katie. Can you confirm these are the right coordinates?" she asked.

But there was no response.

This time, Nadira reached for her morpher. "Nadira to science lab, respond," she said.

But again, there was nothing.

"Something in here must be blocking our communication systems," she said.

"But if that were true, how were they able to send us a signal in the first place?" Nadira asked.

"Welcome rangers," they heard a voice say, but because of the echo, it was difficult for them to determine where the voice was coming from. Nadira and Katie both looked around, but they didn't see anything.

"You thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?"

"I sure am," the two of them got into position. _"TIME FOR, TIME FORCE,"_ they called out…

… but nothing happened.

"Okay, that isn't good," Nadira sighed.

"You'll find that your morphers won't work here rangers," a voice said. 

Though they were unable to determine where the voice was coming from, it was obvious that it was an entirely different voice.

"What's going on here? We're here in response to a distress call," she said.

"You'll soon discover that the only ones in distress here are the two of you," the voice told them.

"Show yourselves!" Katie snapped.

At that moment, _he_ materialized in front of them. It was a ranger, a green ranger, wearing armor similar to the black ranger Chrono armor. It was Katie who stepped towards him. "Who are you?"

"All you need to know Kathryn is that you and your mutant friend will never leave this place," the green ranger told her, then disappeared into a stream of green light.

"Whoa," he mumbled, struggling to get his balance as he materialized in a stream of light.

"Alex! You're okay," Camille said, rushing over to him, helping him get his footing. "We've been looking all over for you,"

"I just got an interesting visit from Admiral Summers. She warned me about an evil group of rangers from the future who plan to invade and take over the past, rewriting history as they go," he said.

"Did she tell you how to stop it?"

"Yes. She warned me that they'll be a distress call, and that one event will trigger the beginning of an all out invasion," Alex said.

Camille paused. "A distress call? It wouldn't by chance have anything to do with the Leorians, would it?" she asked.

"As a matter of fact it…" he glanced over at the screen, getting a look at the incoming transmission. "Oh no," he sighed. "It's begun,"

"I don't get it, what's begun?" Lucas asked him. 

Before he could answer, an alarm went off on the main control panel. Trip and Camille both hurried over to the controls to get a good look.

"There's a shift in the time line, a _major_ shift," Trip warned.

"What is it?" Adam asked.

"Some sort of temporal rift, it's sending a ripple through the space/time continuum," he added.

"The ripple will travel through the space/time continuum like a shockwave, altering not only history, but future history," Camille mentioned.

"Not if I can help it," Trip hurried over to the opposite panel, inputting a sequence of numbers. Suddenly, the entire room turned blue, and there was a humming sound. "After the incident with the Harvengers, I installed a temporal shield around the building. When the shockwave hits, the future will be changed, but everything here will remain the same," he said.

"That means the cadets must have failed," Alex sighed.

Just then, the entire building began to shake. All of them hurried over to the window, watching as the shockwave passed over everything. Buildings disappeared, only to be replaced by a baron wasteland. For as far as the eye could see, there was nothing. The sky was dark, and a thick smoke seemed to cover the ground.

"So we're all that's left of the future," James sighed.

"What about Katie and Nadira? Can we contact them?" Camille asked.

Alex shook his head. "No, that's what Admiral Summers was trying to tell me. There was no emergency, the renegade rangers lured Nadira and Katie to another reality in order to get the coordinates to this point in time. Any minute now, they'll be here, and they'll be nothing we can do to stop them," he explained.

"Come on, we've stopped the Harvengers, preventing invasions, saved the universe a hundred times over and come back from the dead…_ twice._ I say these renegade rangers don't have a chance against us," Camille said.

"I wish I shared your optimism, but I've seen the future, I've seen what they did to the world," he said.

"It can't look any worse than this," Adam said, motioning to the window.

His statement was enough to make Alex take a closer look. "Wait, it looked _exactly _like this. Whatever these rangers are up to, they're trying to change the past, present and future at the exact same time, but Admiral Summers said it took three explosions to cause," Alex said.

"Maybe they have three bombs," Lucas mentioned.

"That wouldn't be enough. It would take a huge amount of radiation, and a huge explosion to destroy an entire reality," Camille said.

The doors to the science lab opened as Tommy and Jen rushed in, making their way over to the window.

"What's going on? There was this wave of…" his sentence trailed off as he glanced out the window. "Oh my God, what happened?" he asked.

"There's been a shift in the time line," Trip said.

"But how? Who?"

At that moment, there was a flash of light as both the green and pink ranger materialized in the lab, each of them with disrupter weapons in hand.

"Goodbye rangers," the green ranger said, firing the weapon.

Trip was able to dive in front of Jen, knocking her out the way as the beam connected with one of the control panels, causing an explosion.

"Alright guys, its now or never," Alex said with an emotionless look on his face.

_"TIME FOR, TIME FORCE,"_ they called out, and their ranger uniforms replaced their clothes.

James and Alex charged in with a double spin kick, but the pink ranger phased, and the two of them went straight through her. Before they could regroup, the pink ranger landed a kick of her own, knocking James against the wall. Alex called for his Chrono saber, swinging at her, but she caught the blade in her hand, and then snatched the saber away from him. As Alex stumbled forward, the pink ranger sliced his stomach with his saber, sending Alex tumbling to the ground. 

Tommy picked up a pipe and swung at the green ranger, but the pipe went through him. The green ranger turned around to hit Tommy, but for some reason, paused. That moment of indecision gave Camille a chance to grab a disrupter and fire at the green ranger. The beam connected with him, but the energy was absorbed by his armor. He responded with a backhand, sending Camille to the floor.

Lucas and Adam made their move on the pink ranger. Lucas went for a kick as Adam tried a sweep, but she was ready for them. She grabbed Adam's ankle, then pulled him upwards, knocking him into Lucas as the two of them fell to the floor.

"Computer, lock all main system functions. Authorization Oliver Gamma 67," Tommy shouted.

_'All main system functions are off line,' _A.I.S.H.A. announced.

"Bring them, I will do the rest," the green ranger said.

The pink ranger nodded, and then grabbed both Tommy and Jen. Before they could do anything, the three of them disappeared into a stream of light.

"Jen! No!" Alex called out as his wound continued to bleed.

The green ranger placed a small device on the control panel and activated it. As soon as he did, the device phased, making it transparent. "Foolish rangers. Your own arrogance will be your undoing," he warned, and then disappeared into a stream of light.

Camille hurried over to Alex, trying to help him up. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"Don't worry about me, just disarm the device before it has a chance to detonate," he groaned.

Camille helped Trip back to his feet, and the two of them hurried over to the device. 

"It's phased," he said.

"If I had to take a guess, I'd say by about 1.6 seconds, just enough to make out of our reach," she said.

"Maybe he tried a multiphased field converter, we could disarm it," he suggested.

"No, the field converter would be disabled the second we attemped to phase it. Plus neither one of us would be able to hold it once it phased," she said.

"How about a particle beam slightly phased, but set at the same frequency? That would neutralize it," he brought up.

"Yes, but it would take hours to figure out the right frequency. Using the wrong one would only make the problem worse," she said.

"So what do we do?"

"I don't know," Camille sighed.

"What about Tommy and Jen? We have to go after them," Adam brought up.

"If we don't disarm this device, we won't be around to worry about it. This should be our first priority," Alex told him.

"Well, I have good news and bad news," Trip turned around. "The bad news is, nothing we can do will be able to completely disarm it. The good news is, because of the temporal displacement caused by the first shockwave, this device is slightly off, so it will take roughly two hours before it goes off and destroys us all," he said.

"Yeah, that's good news," Lucas sighed.

"We have to figure out what these rangers are trying to do. If we knew that, it would be give us a clue on how to stop them," Camille said.

"Admiral Summers said that it would take three explosions, all of them enhanced by radiation from morphers to cause the annihilation of the planet, but each explosion would have to happen in the same place. That doesn't make sense," Alex said.

"Yes, it does," Trip walked over to him. "She said they had to be in the same place, but what about the same _time_?"

"What do you mean?"

"Think about it. The past was just completely destroyed, probably by the same device as this one here. That would send a shockwave through the space/time continuum, changing everything in its path," he said.

"Yeah, but future history would be altered, and this event would be changed," Lucas brought up.

"It would, except for the fact that there's a shield in place preventing things from being changed," he said.

"If the renegade rangers knew that, they'd use it to their advantage," Adam said.

"That's just it, they _did_ know it. In fact, they were counting on it. The shockwave that destroyed the past caused a shockwave destroying everything here, except for us. They _knew_ we'd have a shield to prevent that, and after the shockwave hit, they came here and placed another device. When this one goes off, our shockwave will travel to the future, where no doubt Admiral Summers will have a similar shield in place, and the same thing will happen again. The force of both shockwaves combined with the shockwave from the third device will annihilate the entire world," Alex explained.

"With the Earth destroyed, the gravity in the universe will shift. Planets will go off course, some colliding with each other, others colliding with the sun. The entire universe will be in chaos, and in time, destroy itself," Camille added.

"So how are we supposed to stop this?" Adam asked. 

"The key to all this is the renegade rangers. We have to find them and eliminate them before these devices have a chance to go off," Lucas said.

"That's just it, one of them already has. Any minute now, this one will go off, and followed by the third shockwave, the world will be destroyed in a heartbeat," Trip said.

"What if we travel back to the past and stop the first one from going off? That would solve everything," Adam said.

"We can't. With the space/time continuum so disrupted, there's no way we could safely travel back in time. Even if we could, the past has been so badly changed we wouldn't know where to begin to fix the damage," Camille said.

"I can't imagine things getting any worse," Lucas sighed.

At that moment, the doors to the science lab were destroyed, and as smoke filled the lab, _he_ walked into the lab.

"Lord Zedd," Alex groaned.

Adam turned to Lucas. "You just _had_ to say something, didn't you?"

Tommy and Jen found themselves in a warehouse of some sort. As far as the eye could see, there was nothing. There were metal beams, all of them connected to the ceiling, but there was no equipment to be seen.

"What is this place?" Jen asked.

"I don't know, but I vote for getting out of here," Tommy told her.

Just then, the pink ranger walked over to them, removing her helmet. "Both of you will be safe here. You have nothing to fear," she said.

It was Jen who got a good look at her. She had shoulder length brown hair, and brown eyes, but there was something about the way she looked at her that seemed familiar… 

_'But what?' _Jen thought to herself.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Tommy snapped.

"Everything my brother and I want, we have. Soon, the world you know will be destroyed, and two of you will be the sole survivors of your race. You will be allowed to pick any other world you wish to live on, where you will live free of war, of oppression, of pain and sorrow. You will be live the rest of your lives in peace," she told them.

"But at what price? Our friends? Our families? Our entire world? No thanks lady," she snapped.

"You speak of friends, of families, but they are the same people who allowed an entire world to be destroyed. They forced innocent people to be driven from their homes, and enslaved others. Time Force is a disease that needs to be exterminated. Our master insisted that you too be destroyed, but we begged for your lives, and he saw fit to spare you the fate that Time Force will face," she said.

"Your master? Who is that?" he asked.

"He is the sole ruler of the planet my brother and I are live, he is the Prime Minister of New Earth," she told her.

_'Where have I heard that before?'_ Jen thought to herself. She knew it was familiar, but no matter how hard she tried, couldn't recall where she'd heard that phrase before.

"Where are Katie and Nadira? Before you arrived, they were sent to respond to a distress call," Tommy mentioned.

"There are here, in this place, but in a different time. They are slightly out of phase with your time, about 30 seconds into the future to be exact. With them out of the way, there will be no one here to stop our master from accomplishing his goal and getting revenge on Time Force for what they've done," she said.

"What did Time Force do?" Jen asked.

The pink ranger put her helmet back on. "No more questions. I've already told you too much," she said, and then disappeared into a stream of light.

They all stared intently as Lord Zedd, who stood in front of them with his staff in hand.

"Things are bad enough Zedd, the last thing we need is you coming here and making things worse," Camille snapped.

"You misunderstand ranger," he took a step closer. "The end of the human race is at hand, but I have no desire to see the elimination of humanity," he said.

"Are you saying you're here to help?" Alex asked.

"I have information that may be critical to your survival. What you choose to do with that information is up to you," he said.

"Why are you doing this? Why help us? What's in it for you?" Lucas asked.

"I know what you must think of me rangers, but I am no monster. Do I want to rule the world? Sure. But _destroy_ the world? That isn't my ," he told them.

"So what do you have to tell us?"

"Goes the name Galen mean anything to you?" he asked.

"I've heard that name before. Jen was telling me something about him once, but that was over a year ago," Lucas mentioned.

"On an alternate world, Queen Bansheera was able to defeat the Lightspeed Rangers and take over the planet. Eventually, Bansheera was defeated, but over the years the planet's core became unstable. The world was going to explode, and Time Force stepped in, finding a new suitable world for them to live on. The locals didn't understand what was happening, and assumed that Time Force was forcing them to work as slaves, then sacrificing them," he explained.

"I remember Jen brining a Lucas from another reality here to help him find his friends," Camille mentioned.

"One man decided to stay on that world, and his name was Galen," Lord Zedd told them.

"But when the planet exploded, didn't Galen die?" Trip asked.

"He would have, but another group of Time Force rangers found him, and saving him from his planet before it exploded. Apparently he was able to get access to their equipment, and took over Time Force," he said.

"Wait a second. You're telling me that one guy was able to take over Time Force by himself?" Trip asked.

"No, the rangers who found him were the renegade rangers. Together, they were able to overthrow Time Force, and set out to destroy all worlds. After my attempt to bring Rita back, I returned to my world, where the renegades had already begun the destruction of the planet. I've been tracking them, and they've eliminated over a dozen realities," he told them.

"So why do you want to stop them now? Why is _this_ world so important to you?" Camille asked.

"Because the problem starts on this world. If it can be prevented on this world, then other worlds might be saved," he said.

"But its already started, so how do you plan to stop it?"

"Your morphers are useless now, but there is a power source strong enough to defeat them. All you need to do is activate it," he said.

"You mean the Omega Project, but I've done everything I know how to do. There is nothing in the lab, in special projects or anywhere else on the planet that has enough energy to activate it," Camille said.

"Which is why you have to go to another planet," he brought up.

She paused. "Of course. That's what Khalil was trying to tell us. The morpher is left wasn't meant for us to use, but to take us where we need to go. We have to go to another system to find an energy source," Camille said.

"I don't get it. If we just needed to go to another system to find the power source, why would we need the morpher for that?" Alex asked.

"To get to a region of space that we couldn't get to without that much power…" Trip started.

"The Fikus sector," Camille finished. "Katie was having dreams about the Fikus sector, and we were trying to find a way to safely travel to that system, but none of our shuttles could withstand that region of space. I was able to build a new shuttle with Emery's help, but we didn't have the power source to get to the Fikus sector," she said.

"So we use the morpher to get to the Fikus sector, get the power source and bring it back here," Lucas said.

"But we only have about an hour and a half to do it, and even if we did get back in time, defeating the renegades won't stop this device from going off and destroying the world," Alex said.

"We have to try. I'll go, and take Adam with me," Camille said.

"Okay, lets go," Adam said, taking a step forward.

"The new ship does have a hyper drive. In theory, we could reach the Fikus sector in twenty minutes, which would give us about 30 minutes to find the power source and bring it back," she said.

"You two go, and may the power protect you," Alex said.

Adam and Camille nodded, then made their way out the lab.

"So now what?" Lucas asked.

"We try to find a way to track the renegade rangers, then find a way to stop them," Trip said.

"Everything is going well master," the green ranger said, kneeling in front of a figure wearing a hood and cloak.

The figure motioned for the green ranger to rise. "You have done well my son. Soon, Earth Prime will be destroyed, and those who destroyed our world will know first hand what its like to lose everything in one foul swoop," he told him.

"Yes master,"

"And where is your sister? Is her work complete?" he asked.

"Yes. The Olivers have been contained. The mutant and the Ethros demon have also been captured. There is no one who will be able to oppose us," he said.

"Very good. Our total victory is at hand. Soon, very soon, we will be able to live in peace, never again concerned about the threat of humans destroying our way of life," he told him.

"Very good master," he agreed. "But what is to become of the Olivers after the Earth is destroyed?" he asked.

"The woman will be allowed to give birth, but after that, I see no need for either of them. Kill them," he said sharply.

"But master, we assured them that…" he was cut short.

"I care nothing about your assurances. Allowing them to live will give them the opportunity to oppose us. Our plan must go without incident if it is to succeed," 

"But surely we have avenged the destruction of old world, we should…" he was again interrupted.

He stood up. "I know what you're thinking. You believe that if we continue to destroy worlds, then we are no better than Time Force, who enslaved my people and kidnapped them, then destroyed my world. I assure you young one, this is the final phase of the plan. Once this world has been conquered, there will be none who can oppose me," he told him.

"Yes master, of course,"

**Preview: Endgame pt. II**

Next time on Parallels II: Camille and Adam head to the Fikus sector to find a new source of power. Meanwhile, Katie and Nadira receive a strange message from the past.

__


	35. Endgame pt II

**_Disclaimer: _**_Power Rangers Time Force and all related logos are property of Disney and/or Saban Entertainment. I am using them without permission. KJ Sheldon, Lt. James Emery, Trinity Oliver, A.I.S.H.A., Admiral Summers, Camille Summers, Leo Claw and the "Omega Project" are property of yours truly. Sierra appears courtesy of… well, Sierra. _

_Please take a moment to review. I live for reviews!!  
_

* * *

"There she is," Camille said proudly as she and Adam walked into the main shuttle bay, staring at the shuttle Camille built.

It had a long, slender design, and was a metallic silver color. It was far from the traditional time ships manufactured by Time Force; it was much smaller, and had wings on each side.

"I'm impressed," he said, admiring the design.

"You ain't seen nothing yet. This thing is equipped with a phased cloak, re-modulating shield rotation and the most advanced hyper drive in Time Force. This baby could travel around the world and back in fifteen minutes," she boasted.

"That's great, but can it get us to the Fikus sector?" he asked.

"Of course," she walked over to a control panel and activated the launch sequence. A small door on the ship opened, and the two of them headed inside. They both sat in front of the controls, and the hatch closed. "Preparing for launch," she said.

"Thrusters seem to be operating normally, but the compression systems look a little strange," he said.

"Its okay, I rerouted the compression systems through the hyper drive. With the extra, the ship will be able to go twice as fast as the time ship," she told him.

"Lets put all your modifications to the test,"

"Computer, establish a link to the main computer in science lab one and upload project A1," she said.

_'Working,' _there was a pause. _'Upload complete,'_ the computer announced.

"A1?" Adam asked.

"It's the A.I.S.H.A. program," she paused. "Computer, integrate program A1 into the navigational sensor array and executive," she said.

_'Working,' _it paused. _'Integration complete,'_

"A.I.S.H.A., I need you to plot a course to the Fikus sector, hyper drive level 5.2," Camille said.

The shuttle bay doors opened, and the shuttle lifted off. As soon as it was clear, the hyper drive engine was activated; the shuttle disappeared, leaving a streak of light in the sky.

* * *

As best as Tommy could tell, an hour had gone by, and he was unable to find a way out. There were no doors along any of the ways, no windows, nothing that indicated an exit.

"Tommy, take a look at this," Jen called out.

He turned around, rushing over to his wife, who was standing in front of a generator of some kind. "I thought I told you to stay off your feet," he brought up.

"Thanks for your concern, but I have no intention of having my children in this place," she motioned towards the generator. "It looks like temporal accelerator," she said.

* * *

"Wow, the last time I saw a temporal accelerator was in an old prison movie. I can't believe these things are still around," Katie said, staring at the generator.

"Weren't these things outlawed in the earl 28th century?" Nadira asked.

"Yeah, they were deemed unsafe by the government, but leave it to the renegades to have one laying around,"

"Can we disarm it?"

"Without killing ourselves? No," Katie sighed.

* * *

"A temporal accelerator?" Tommy inquired.

"They were used in the early 27th century in prisons. The idea was that they could imprison criminals in one build, but each of them at different points in time. With all them a minute or so in the future ahead of one another, it made for infinite space to imprison them," she said. "The only problem was exposure to the radiation for too long was enough to kill them all, and the accelerator was outlawed," she explained.

"Okay, so how do we turn it off?"

"We don't. If you touch it, it emits an electrical surge that would be enough to cook your internal organs. Before you had a chance to realize what was going on, it would be too late to worry about it," she told him.

"There has to be a way to disable it," he groaned.

"If we had something we could wrap around our hands for insulation, you'd be able to touch it without being shocked, but you wouldn't be able to hit it with enough force to disable it,"

"If we could get this thing turned off, time would be restored to normal and we'd be able to catch up with Katie and Nadira in normal time," he added. "Isn't there anything we can do to destroy this thing?"

* * *

"Why would we _want_ to destroy it? Its not hurting us, and I'm sure Camille and the others will be able to rescue us sooner or later," Nadira said.

"If the accelerator is shut down, then time will return to normal and we'll be able to get out of here. More importantly, the radiation coming from thing, after too long, will kill us. Millions of people have died in places like this," she said.

"Yeah, but we're not people. I'm a mutant and you're a… whatever you are," she pointed out.

"I'm _half _human, but that doesn't mean…" she paused. "Wait, maybe my Ethros DNA would allow me to touch the generator without being killed," she said.

"Yeah, not killed, just seriously injured and burned nearly to death. That's creative Katie," Nadira sighed.

* * *

"We just have to be creative, that's all," he glanced around the room. "Wait, our uniform would be enough to insulate my hands," he quickly took a firm hold of the sleeve on his left arm, snatching it off, then wrapped the material around his hand. "Now all I have to do is…" he reached out to touch the generator, but a surge of energy knocked him backwards, forcing him to collide with a pole. The beam bent on impact, and Jen hurried over to her husband.

"Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine, but we're running out of options,"

* * *

"Maybe if we…" she paused as she glanced up, noticing a pole about twenty feet from them. "Wait, was that pole always bent like that?" Katie asked.

"I don't know. I wasn't paying _that_ much attention,"

"Well I am, and that pole wasn't always bent like that. It looks like someone hit it," she paused again. "Almost like someone tried to tamper with the generator, and they were knocked backwards and hit the pole," she said.

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying I have an idea," Katie said.

* * *

"I'm all out of ideas," Tommy confessed.

"Well I'm not," Jen stood up. "If Katie and Nadira are only a few seconds in the future ahead us, Katie may be able to shut it down,"

"How?"

"If I insulate my hands. I might be able to use the pole to destroy the generator," she said.

"But your insulation might not be enough. An electrical surge will still hit you, and you could be killed," Nadira said.

"I'm know the risk," she walked over to the pole, snatching it down. "But we have to do something. I'm not willing to stay here like a sitting duck until the renegades come back," she said.

Next, she ripped the sleeves of her uniform, wrapping it around the pole, then the other around her hands.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" she asked.

"No," Katie said as she cocked back, swinging the pole with all the strength she could muster, hitting the generator.

Light filled the entire room, and when it died down, Nadira glanced around the room. "Tommy! Jen!" she said eagerly, rushing over to them.

"It didn't you guys long to figure out how to shut that thing down, did it?" Jen asked.

"Actually, it was Katie who…" she paused, then turned around, only to see Katie laying on the floor unconscious. "Oh God, Katie," she said, rushing over to her.

Tommy leaned down, touching her neck slightly. "She has a pulse, but its faint. I don't know if that's common or not with Ethros, but…"

"We need to get her back to the lab," she grabbed Katie's arm, going for her morpher. "Jen to science lab, come in," she said.

* * *

"Anything yet?" Alex groaned, standing over Trip's shoulder as he worked.

"No sir. Camille's shuttle is now out of sensor ranger, so I won't be able to track them. I've also been working on a way to track down Jen and Tommy, but without their morphers, its difficult to get a lock on them," he turned around, observing that Alex was still clinging to his wound, trying to stop the blood. "Alex, you should really have that checked out,"

"I'm fine Trip, just get back to work," he insisted.

Trip glanced down at the small pool of blood, and the long trail of blood coming from Alex's uniform. "Sir, I think…"

"It looks worse than it is Trip, really. Right now our priority is to find the others and…" he paused as he became light headed, stumbling forward. "Just get back to work," he snapped.

Trip turned around. "Trip to infirmary, medical emergency in science lab one. Respond," he said.

"Damn it Trip, I told you I was fine," Alex snapped.

_'Infirmary here, we've dispatched a medical team. They're on the way,'_ a voice said.

"Thank you. Lab out,"

"I told you I was fine," Alex insisted.

"We'll let the medics figure it out. In the meantime, I…" he was cut short.

_'Jen to science lab, come in,' _a voice said.

Trip turned to the controls. "Its definitely Jen, but its coming from Katie's morpher," he paused, opening a channel. "Lab here. Its good to hear your voice Jen," he said.

* * *

_'Its good to hear your voice Jen. We thought we'd lost you for a minute,' _a voice responded.

Jen quickly recognized Trip's voice. "Can you get a lock on us Trip? Katie is hurt pretty bad," she said.

_'You too. Katie is down, and we need you to teleport her to the infirmary immediately,'_ she instructed.

"I'm on it," he paused. "Locking onto Katie and teleporting… now,"

Jen, Tommy and Nadira stood back as Katie disappeared into a stream of light.

"Good job Trip. Now I need you to teleport the rest of us back to the lab," Jen said.

_'Three?' _he inquired.

"Just trust me on this one," she said.

_'Alright, standby,'_ he answered.

The medical team rushed into the science lab, making their way over to Alex. "If you'll come with us, sir," one of them said.

"I'll contact you when I know something," Trip assured him. With a nod, Alex headed out the lab with the medical team, and Trip turned back to the controls. "Beginning teleportation sequence… now," he said.

Within moments, there was a flash of light, and the three of them materialized in the lab.

"Thanks for the ride Trip," Nadira said.

"Anytime. Now will someone explain to me what's going on?" he asked.

"The four of us were trapped in time by a temporal accelerator, but Katie was able to destroy it," Tommy said.

"Destroy it? How? That would be enough to… oh my God, is she okay?" he replied.

"We don't know. We'll head down to the infirmary and check on her later. Is there is any news on the renegades and what they plan to do?" Jen asked.

"Actually, there is," a voice said.

The three of them turned around as Lord Zedd walked into the lab.

"Oh great, as if the day wasn't bad enough already," Tommy said, ready to make a move.

Trip quickly stood up, standing in-between them. "No, wait. Lord Zedd is here to help us," he told them.

"Do you have any idea how crazy that sounds? He…"

"He has given us information on the renegades and the one controlling them. He also let us know where we could find a power source strong enough to activate the Omega morpher," Trip informed them.

"I assure you, I mean you no harm," Lord Zedd said, then turned his attention to Jen. "Its you, you're the one responsible for all of this," he said, taking a step forward.

"Wait a minute, what do you mean?" Jen asked.

"Shes the one who allowed Galen to remain of that planet alone. She is the one who will allow the renegades to live until of destroying them when we get the chance," he snarled.

"What are you saying? Are you talking about the future?"

"I'm talking about right now! She is the reason I've come here, and she is the key to preventing all of this from ever happening," he said.

"How?"

Jen sighed, placing her hands on her stomach. "It's the twins, he wants me to kill them," she sighed.

* * *


	36. Endgame pt III

* * *

  
Galen sat at his thrown, staring down at the two rangers. It all seemed surreal to him, the fact that he had two of the most powerful rangers under his control, and that he was within moments of achieving his ultimate goal. _'Everything is falling into place,'_ he thought to himself. _'With these two doing my bidding, Time Force won't stand a chance,'_

And for the most part, he was right. With foreknowledge of the future, he'd been able to anticipate the rangers every move, and he prepared for them. He _knew_ that by now, Tommy and Jennifer had probably found their way out of the temporal holding cell, and that Lord Zedd had probably warned them by now. _'It doesn't matter, I'm ready,'_ he thought, smiling deviously.

"My children," he stood up, making his way towards them. "Two of the Time Force officers are on their way to the Fikus sector. You must intercept them and stop them from finding the power source. If they do, our plans will be in jeopardy," he told them.

"But sire, there is nothing that can prevent…" the pink ranger was cut short.

"Do not question me, simply follow my orders. You will take a ship to the Fikus sector and prevent them from finding the power source… by any means necessary," he ordered.

"As you wish," she paused. "But what are you intentions with Thomas Oliver and Jennifer Scotts?" she asked.

"My intentions with them are none of your concern. Do as you are told, or face the consequences," he warned.

"But you assured us they would be allowed to go free, to live in peace," she reminded him.

He took a step closer to her, grabbing her by the neck and lifting her up. "As long as Time Force is allowed to exist, we are at risk. Whatever you attachment to these two are, get over it, or all that we've done will be for nothing. Do you understand?"

"Yes," she groaned, gasping for air.

"Very good, now follow my orders," he snapped, dropping her to the ground.

Without a word, she reached for her morpher, disappearing into a stream of light. Once she was gone, Galen headed back to his thrown, sitting down. "I am becoming concerned about her loyalties. If it becomes necessary, we may have to eliminate her," Galen told her.

The green ranger stared at Galen with contempt in his eyes, but chose not to say anything. Eliminating her was _not_ an option, as far as he was concerned. There wasn't much he knew about his past, but what he _did_ remember was that the two of them had always been together. She was the closest thing he had to family, regardless to what Galen said.

There were parts of the plan he didn't understand, not that Galen had told him that much about it at all. All he did know was that Galen had ordered the two of them to set devices in the past, present and future, and each of the devices would serve their purpose. The more he thought about it, the more it seemed unlikely that Galen was simply trying to eliminate Time Force. _'If I didn't know better, I'd say he was trying to get rid of the entire human race,'_ he thought to himself.

_'That can't be true, Galen said we're helping the human race. His intentions are noble,'_ he assured himself, but there was still no way he would eliminate the pink ranger.

"As you wish sire," he said, nodding slightly, then disappeared into a stream of light as well.

  
  
She'd been pacing back and forth in the front of the infirmary a little over twenty minutes, debating amongst herself if she should go see him or not. _'Of course I should, he's hurt, and he needs me,'_ she told herself. Trip had been nice enough to let her know that Alex was injured, and suggested that she pay him a visit, but she knew how Alex was. _'He probably doesn't want me to see him like that, hurt. Injured. Not in control,'_ she thought. Alex was always like that, unwilling to show his vulnerable side, unwilling to appear weak to those he was in command of.

_'But I'm not under his command, he won't mind if I go in and check on him,'_ she assured herself. Besides, there were so many things had to tell him, so many things she wanted him to know. She'd been back with Time Force for a few months now, but she hadn't been able to tell him exactly how she felt. They'd lost four years, and during those four years, the only thing that kept her going was the idea that she'd see Alex again one day. _'If I can just hold on one more day, he'll come for me,'_ she would think to herself, and sure enough, after years of waiting, he did come for her.

_'There's no reason that we can't be together now,'_ she thought. She knew he was in the middle of an important mission, one that had consequences she didn't even want to imagine, but she also knew that there was no sense of wasting time anymore. She'd seen Alex a handful of times since returning, and she refused to let another day go by before telling him how she truly felt.

With a reluctant sigh, she took a step forward, and the doors to the infirmary opened. There were a few doctors and medical assistances standing around, and she quickly made her way over to Alex, who was lying on an examining table. He seemed peaceful as he laid there, motionless. She brushed her hand against his cheek slightly, cracking a smile… until she realized that he felt cold.

"Doctor," she called out, trying to get someone's attention.

It was Dr. Young walked over to her with a clipboard in hand. "Hello Sierra," he sighed.

"Doc, why is Alex so cold?" she inquired.

The doctor stepped towards Alex, grabbing the white sheet he was laying under, and pulled it over his face. "I'm sorry, but there was nothing I could do for him," he sighed.

Sierra dropped to her knees. "No, it can't be," she cried.

"He lost a lot of blood, and there were serious internal injuries," he told her.

At that point, Sierra wasn't listening. She got to back to her feet, snatching the sheet away from and began to shake him. "You can't be dead, get up. You _have_ to get up!" she screamed.

Dr. Young grabbed her, pulling her away. "I'm sorry," he sighed.

"There has to be something you can do, something that can bring him back. What about that sphere thing? The sphere of Omara? Can't we use that to bring him back?" she cried.

"No, it was simply his time to go. I'm sorry," he repeated.

"There was so much I wanted to tell you," she cried, laying on the examining table next to him, wrapping her arms around him as she rocked back and forth. "I love you so much Xander," she cried.

Dr. Young, with a tear in his eye himself, simply walked away.

"Approaching the Fikus sector," Adam announced, sitting in front of the controls of the shuttle.

The two of them had been cooped up in the shuttle for a little over an hour, neither of them with much to say. The mission they were on seemed to occupy their attention, so there was no room for small talk or conversation. He wanted to tell Camille about his plans to propose to Katie when they got back, but before he said anything about it, he wanted to be sure the two of them made it home in one piece.

"Reduce speed to impulse power and set a course for the fourth moon in orbit," she instructed.

"The moon?" he inquired.

"Our long range scans indicted that there was life on the fourth planet. We think that's the source of Katie's visions," she told him.

"Setting a course for the fourth moon, impulse power," he confirmed, entering the commands into the computer terminal. "So, what do you expect to find out here?"

"All out scans said was that there was life, but that's all we know. With any luck, we'll find the power source we need and we can get back before things get out of hand," she said.

"Initiating landing sequence, but I'm detecting high levels of radiation in this sector. According to the readings, its more than our bodies can handle," he said.

"That's why I came prepared," she stood up, walking over to a compartment in the shuttle, pulling out environmental protection suits. "These will shield us from the radiation, but only for about fifteen minutes. After that, we're on our own," she told him, tossing one of the suits to him.

"I don't suppose you have one in black, do you?" he asked.

"Nope, standard issue purple will have to do," Camille laughed.

The two of them slid into their environmental protection suits, but before they could exit the ship, and alert went off. Adam turned to the controls, reviewing them. "Looks like we've got company. There's a ship on an intercept course," he told her.

"Configuration?"

"It's a Time Force shuttle, but the signature is more advanced than any configuration I've seen," he said.

"It's the renegade rangers, they're coming," Camille sighed.

"You go ahead and track down the power source, I'll take the ship and try to hold them off the best I can. Just contact me when you're ready to teleport back to the ship," he said.

"You sure?"

"Just go. I'll handle those two," he said. "Besides, this suit makes me look fat,"

She nodded as he opened the hatch for her, and then stepped off the ship. As soon as she was clear, Adam quickly resealed the hatch, then turned back to the controls. "A.I.S.H.A, lay in a course for the approaching ship," he said.

_'Course set,'_ it responded.

* * *

"The Time Force ship has left the fourth moon and is on an intercept course with us," the pink ranger said, sitting in front of the controls of their ship.

"Those fools, don't they realize they're no match for this ship?" he asked.

"Apparently not. Prepare the torpedoes for launch," she ordered.

* * *

_'The enemy ship is preparing to launch torpedoes,' _A.I.S.H.A. warned.  
  
"Get ready to bring the phased cloak on line, and engage on my mark," Adam ordered.

_'Preparing cloak now,'  
  
_

* * *

"They're trying to use their phased cloaking device," the pink ranger mentioned.

"These fools won't know what hit them. Lock onto target and fire at will," he responded.

"Target locked… firing."

* * *

_'Two torpedoes have been launched. Impact in 8 seconds,'_ A.I.S.H.A. reported.

"Activate the cloak," he ordered.

The lights in the ship dimmed, and were quickly replaced by blue lights, indicating the cloak was on line. Adam watched the screen as the torpedoes moved closer… and closer… and within seconds, the torpedoes hit the ship, shaking the entire ship on impact.

"What happened?" Adam asked.

_'The enemy ship launched multi-phased torpedoes. They were able to match our cloaking frequency and penetrate it,'_ A.I.S.H.A. told him.

"Great, just great," he sighed.

_'Navigational sensors are offline, and secondary hull has been compromised. Another impact will breach the inner hull,'_ A.I.S.H.A.warned.

"Its obvious we aren't going to beat them with speed and power. We'll have to think of something else," Adam said.

* * *

"They have taken heavy damage to their ship. Navigational sensors are off line, there is a slight breach in their hull, and all main power has gone off line. According to these readings, life support will fail in two minutes," the pink ranger said.

"Life signs?"

"There is one, but it is very faint."

"Galen said there were two Time Force officers on board," she mentioned.

"Perhaps one of them were killed in the battle, and the other seriously hurt. I think we should teleport over there and check… be to sure," he recommended.

"Galen would not approve."

"I suppose not, but I need to know what happened over there," he stood up. "I will go. You remain here, and when I return, destroy the ship," he said.

"As you wish."

He reached for his morpher, and then disappeared into a stream of light.

* * *

The ship was heavily damaged. There had been, from the looks of it, several explosions. Everything except for emergency power was offline, and Adam was face down on the floor of the ship. The green ranger did a quick survey of the shuttle, and quickly came to the conclusion that there was no thread.

He reached for his morpher. "There's only one officer aboard the ship, and he's down. I'm bringing him back with me," he said.

_'Are you sure that's a good idea?'_ a voice asked.

"I'm not going to leave him here to die, its not what we do," he said.

_'Fine, but we'll have to keep him restrained. I get a sweep of the fourth moon, and there is a human on the surface. When you get back, we'll set a course for the moon and intercept the human before they find the power source,'_ she explained.

"What about their ship?"

_'We should lock on a tractor beam and take it with us when we leave. Lord Galen may have a use for it,'_ she suggested.

"Fine," he groaned. He leaned down, picking up Adam and putting him over his shoulder. "I'm on my way," he said.

He reached for his morpher again, and within seconds, the two of them disappeared into a stream of light.

The moon itself appeared to be baron, a virtual wasteland. For as far as the eye could see, there were no signs of life; no trees, no plants, no humanoid life, nothing. She was beginning to think the scans were inconclusive, or maybe they scanned a different moon. _'There is no life here,'_ she thought to herself, reaching for her scanning equipment.

Part of her wished she didn't let Adam leave with the shuttle. Because of the radiation around the moon, contact with anything in or around orbit would be impossible. She didn't like the idea of being left alone on a moon with no way to contact anyone for help if she needed it. _'Then again, its not like I'm about to be attacked by moon rocks,'_ she thought to herself.

Just then, her scanning device began to beep. She glanced down at it, trying to figure out what it was detecting, but there was no such luck. Before she could even determine something was happening, the ground began to shake, and an arm reached out from beneath the surface, grabbing her ankle. She managed to kick it away, but when she turned around, there was a being standing there. From the looks of it, it had pale-ish blue skin, and was very skinny. It reached out to her, but she ducked, giving it a sweep, taking it down. She tried to run, but soon, she found herself surrounded by the creatures.

Camille turned to her scanning device, inputting a series of codes, and then threw it towards them. It hit the ground, and in seconds, exploded. The explosion was enough to knock the creatures free of the little gravity the moon did have, sending most of them floating into space. What she didn't anticipate was the explosion sending a small rock racing towards her, cracking the glass in the helmet of her environmental protection suit. With the air seeping out her suit, she collapsed to the ground, unable to breath.

  
  
"Its you, you're the one responsible for all of this," Lord Zedd said, taking a step forward.

"Wait a minute, what do you mean?" Jen asked.

"She's the one who allowed Galen to remain of that planet alone. She is the one who will allow the renegades to live until of destroying them when we get the chance," he snarled.

"What are you saying? Are you talking about the future?"

"I'm talking about _right now_! She is the reason I've come here, and she is the key to preventing all of this from ever happening," he said.

"How?"

Jen sighed, placing her hands on her stomach. "It's the twins, he wants me to kill them." She sighed.

Tommy snatched away from Trip, standing in-between Jen and Lord Zedd. "He wants to do what?" he snapped.

"The renegades are your children Tommy, from the future. Preventing the renegades from being born will cause a shift in the time line. Galen would have no one to manipulate into assisting him in his plan against Time Force, and the universe will be safe," he explained.

"It won't work," Trip walked over to Jen. "Stopping the renegades from being born _would_ change the timeline, but as long as they have their morphers, they will be shielded from changes in the timeline," he brought up.

"Well something needs to be done. This implosive device will go off, and the temporal wave will collide with the waves from the past and future, destroying us all. Do you truly want to weigh the lives of countless billions through-out not only this universe, but all others to the lives of two unborn children?" Zedd asked him. "Stopping them _before_ it happens is our only solution."

"I suggest you find another solution. I will _not_ lose my children," Tommy snapped.

Lord Zedd took a step closer to Tommy. "What about Trinity? The past has already been destroyed, and the only thing holding the present together is the Xybrian's device to shield this building from the shifts in the time line. The world as you know it is gone Tommy. The future has also been destroyed, so what can you truly offer your children at this point? By destroying them now, the universe will be safe," he told him.

"He's right Tommy," Jen cried.

"He's _what_?" he snapped, turning to his wife.

"Its selfish of us to sacrifice the entire universe for our children. We have to do this," she said.

"Jennifer, no," he sighed.

"This isn't easy for me Tommy, but we have to,"

"There has to be another way," he screamed.

"Our priority should be finding a way to track them, then taking their morphers. That way, when the time line shifts, they will be…" Trip was cut short.

"None of you are listening. No one is killing my children," Tommy snapped.

"Tommy, I know how you feel, but…"

"No, none of you do. I had a daughter, and because of my duty to protect the world, I didn't get to see her grow up. Now, I finally have the chance to be the father I want to be, and you want to destroy them before they're even born? I've saved the world a hundred times over, but this time, the world owes me. I will not sacrifice my children, not again," he snapped.

They all paused, staring around the room at one another. Finally, it was Lord Zedd who broke the silence. "You heard him, lets work on finding another way," he said, nodding slightly at Tommy.

Jen grabbed Tommy, pulling him to the side while Trip and Lord Zedd turned their attention to the control panels. "I know how you feel, I do. I know what its like to have to give someone up. I've already lost my sister to this invasion, and I don't want to lose the kids either, but if it's the only way we…"

"No, there is _always_ another way. All we have to do is find it," he told her.

"What _other_ way Tommy? The past is gone, the cadets were destroyed in the battle. Everything has been wiped out, including Trinity. The future is gone, our children destroyed everything there, and _this_, the present is all that's left. We have a chance to correct history, to save Trinity, to save the cadets, to save Kim and Wes, to save them all. I don't like the idea of hurting the children either, but we can't ignore what's at stake here. We're talking about every universe! Trillions of people will be killed; innocent lives will be destroyed in this reality and every other we've ever been too. If we have the chance to save them all, the chance to prevent the senseless deaths of the entire space/time continuum, I think we should…" she was cut short as Tommy, with a tear in his eye, walked over to Trip.

"Trip, can you set up a dampening field that will prevent their morphers from shielding them from the shifts in the time line?" he asked in a somber tone.

"Assuming that the morphers in the future work on the same frequency, I should be able to re-calibrate the sub…" he was cut short.

"Just do it. When we're ready to do this, _I'll_ be the one to do it. I'll be the one who destroys them," he sighed.

* * *

**Preview: Endgame pt. IV**

Next time on Parallels II: Jen and Tommy come to terms with Lord Zedd's announcement. Meanwhile, Galen and the renegade rangers prepare for their final battle with Time Force.


	37. Endgame pt IV

Camille opened her eyes suddenly, sitting up. Her first reaction was to grab her throat, convinced that she wouldn't be able to breath… but she could. In fact, she was breathing normally. At first glance, she was no longer on the surface of the moon; it was a cave of some kind. There were lights along the walls of the cave, but she quickly noticed that the ground wasn't ground at all; it was a smooth, metal surface. She also noticed she was no longer wearing her environmental projection suit, just her Time Force uniform.

In attempt to recall what must have happened… all she could recall was a group of creatures attacking her, and the glass in her suit was cracked, forcing it to loose oxygen. She suspected that she passed out from the lack of oxygen, but it didn't offer her any explanation as to how ended up there. _'Where ever here is,'_ she thought.

She speculated that she was beneath the surface of the moon, and after getting a better look at her surroundings, they seemed to confirm that. There were environmental controls and atmospheric regulators along the room, but no sign of power converters that would control the equipment.

Camille stood up, dusting herself off, but within seconds, she became disorientated and fell to her knees. The dizziness overwhelmed her, but before she could fall to the floor completely, someone grabbed her, helping her up.  
  
"You should take it easy. Going without oxygen for so long may have done some cellular damage," a voice said.

"Who… are…" she tried to get out, but was having a hard time gathering the strength to speak.

"My name is Odek, I am an Ethros," he told her.

"Who... attacked... me?" she mumbled.

"Those were surface dwellers. They were the reason that I and the others were forced to come underground. They're scavengers, hunters, no more than animals searching for food. When I found you, they were trying to remove your protection suit, but I was able to chase them away and bring you here," he explained.

"Thank you," she sighed.

"It was nothing."

"You said you were an Ethros, but..." she allowed her sentense to trail off.

"I don't _look_ Ethros, is that it?"

She nodded.

"Much like Kathryn, I am a joined species. However, there are several differences between Kathryn and myself. Kathryn's mother was joined, while her father was not. Kathryn does not host a symbiotic being, yet seems to have all the inherent strength of the Ethros race," he explained.

"It was you who… sent the messages," she groaned, feeling her strength returning.

He nodded. "Yes, we sent telepathic messages to Kathryn, hoping that her heritage would allow her to receive them. We were unsure if she had, but when we detected your ship approaching, we were convinced she did," he said.

"They came to her as dreams." She paused. "But how did you even know about Katie?"

"We were the ones who sent her mother to Earth. It was our hope that she would procreate, allowing the Ethros race to evolve into a single race of beings. Kathryn is the embodiment of the future of our race; the strength and regenerating abilities of an Ethros, but as a single being. The future of the Ethros race depends on Kathryn's survival," he said.

"Why did you send her messages? What do you want?"

"As you probably already know, Kathryn has the ability to retain knowledge of each time shift. It is that ability that has allowed us to determine that Earth is in grave danger. The time line has shifted several times, and in each new reality, Time Force was never able to find the source of power needed to defeat their enemy. Because we cannot allow Kathryn to be destroyed, we are prepared to give it to you," he said.

"Why do I hear a _but_ in that sentence?" Camille asked.

"In exchange for the technology, you must deliver Kathryn to us, where she remain for the rest of her natural life," Odek told her.

* * *

  
  
The green ranger materialized on the ship allow with Adam, who was unconscious. As Adam's lifeless body fell to the floor of the ship, the green ranger removed his helmet.

"Galen will be furious if he discovers you brought a Time Force officer on board," the pink ranger reminded him.

"Galen does not wish to harm the humans, only to usher in a new era of peace for them. When our mission is complete, we will…" he was interrupted.

"Okay, that's where I have to stop ya," the two of them turned around, where they saw Adam on his feet. "You see this?" he opened his hand, revealing a small device. "It's a detonation device. I push this button, and my ship explodes, taking this ship with it. Oh, and before you get any bright ideas about taking it from me, you should know that I've entered commands into the computer to auto destruct whether I push the button or not. This device is just to speed the process along," he explained.

"You wouldn't destroy yourself to stop us," she said.

"Try me," Adam said coldly.

"I do not understand why you resist us. Galen only wishes to usher in a era of peace," the pink ranger said.

"Peace, or pieces? The device he left in the science lab will go off, and the entire universe will be destroyed. No one will be spared, no one will be around for this new era," he said.

"You're wrong. The devices will not destroy anything."

"I'm willing to bet that even Galen doesn't even realize what he's doing. I bet he thinks that it will destroy all life on Earth, but what he doesn't know is that the wave he's creating will wash through the entire universe, destroying everything. The past, the present, the future, all of it will be gone," he said.

"You're wrong!" the pink ranger repeated.

"Am I?" he took a step closer to them. "Is that what he's been telling you? That your efforts here will dawn in some age of peace for all mankind?" he asked them.

"It will, Galen has assured us…" he was cut short.

"That's how he was able to convince you to work for him, isn't it? If you knew the truth, you'd be trying to throw Galen out of the nearest airlock," he said.

"I know what you're trying to do black ranger, and it will not succeed. Galen's vision of the future will come to pass, with or without your cooperation," the green ranger said.

"You know," he paused. "You have your father's eyes," he commented.

"You… knew my father?" he inquired.

"Galen didn't tell you? Tommy and Jennifer are you parents," Adam told them.

"Lies! All lies!" the pink ranger snapped.

"Is it? That's why you kidnapped the two of them, and you probably did your best to keep them safe, didn't you? Even though you didn't know _who_ they were, you felt a need to protect them," he said.

"Galen issued the order to contain them. No more, no less."

"He probably wanted them safe long enough for Jen to deliver the babies. After all, if something happened to her before she gave birth, the two of you wouldn't have been born, and Galen's plans would be ruined," he pointed out.

"I don't believe you."

"Neither do I," the green ranger answered.

"Why else would Galen want them out the way? They're no more a threat to you and any of us," Adam leaned down, putting the small device on the ground. "I'm showing you a jester of good faith, maybe now you'll listen to what I have to say," he mentioned.

"That is enough, we are sick of your lies and…" she was cut short as the green ranger grabbed her arm, holding her b back.

"Lets hear him out," he insisted.

* * *

Tommy had been sitting in silence for a little over an hour, simply watching as Trip worked. He found it ironic that, of all people, Lord Zedd would be there helping them. He'd spent so much of his life fighting against Lord Zedd, finding ways to stop his plans on taking over the world, but now, Lord Zedd was _helping_ them save the world. Certainly, things were changing, and it was a little too fast for his liking.

He'd already lost Trinity, his only daughter. Now, after over a year of trying to build a life for himself in the future, he was moments away from losing everything again. This time, _he_ would have to be the one to eliminate them. Weighing their lives against his own didn't bother him, he was more than willing to sacrifice himself to save them, but it wasn't fair for him to sacrifice the entire universe for them. _'Its not my right,'_ he thought to himself. Though out his time as a ranger, he'd been forced to make decisions; life or death decisions, but never on this big a scale. Never in his life did so much hang in the balance of a decision he had to make.

He glanced over at the device the renegades left behind. Even though he was slightly phased, he was still able to make out the numbers as they counted down. _'Twenty six minutes,'_ he sighed inwardly. In less than thirty minutes, everything he knew would be gone.

"I think we're ready over here," Trip said, getting his attention.

With a monotone look on his face, Tommy walked over to him, getting a good look at Trip's handy work. "What have you got for me?" he asked.

"Short version: if you get within twenty meters of the renegade rangers and activate this, it will block the radiation signatures in their morphers. From there, when you…" he paused, wanting to pick his words carefully. "… stop them, their older versions won't be protected by the signatures and will cease to exist," he told him.

"You're sure about this?"

"Positive… but there is a drawback to it," he brought up.

"Why do I get the feeling you have more bad news for me?"

Jen turned to him. "Activating this device will result in cellular damage. In your case, because there has been so much damage done to your DNA, chances are exposure to the device will kill you," she told him.

"Let one of us go Tommy. We'll have a better chance of coming out of this in one piece," Lucas said, taking a step forward.

Katie, who'd been silent the entire time, chimed in as well. "My DNA will allow me to heal myself no matter how bad the damage is, I'll do it," she offered.

"No," Tommy picked up the device, clipping it to the belt on his uniform. "These are _my_ children, and if anyone is going to stop them, its going to be me," he said.

"But you don't have to kill yourself to do it," Jen said.

"I have to, it's the only way," he sighed.

Just then, a light on the panel began to flash. Trip turned to the controls. "Guys, we've got company. There's a ship coming this way at high warp. From the looks of it, its… it's a configuration I've never seen before," he said.

"Time to intercept?"

"About four minutes," Trip said.

"Katie, you and Lucas take the Time Shadow and intercept them. Nadira, I was you to take…" he was cut short.

"We're being hailed," he said.

"Open a channel."

_'Let me guess, Alex gave the order to have the Time Shadow come blast me out of the sky, didn't he?' _a voice asked.

"Camille?"

_'The one and only. We're running out of time, but I have what we went looking for. Tell Alex I need him to meet me in my lab in five minutes,'_ she said.

Everyone looked at each other, and they tacitly agreed that Trip would be the one to tell her. "Honey, there was an incident here. Alex is dead," he told her.

_'Oh God, I didn't know,'_ she sighed.

"Is Adam with you?" Katie asked, changing the subject.

_'No, he took the shuttle and left me on the planet with the renegades came after us. I thought he'd be either back there or near the moon, but there was no sign of him,'_ she said.

"Could he be cloaked?"

_'That was my first thought. Listen, I'll be there in a minute, and I'm going to need a volunteer for the Omega Morpher,'_ she said.

"I doubt you'll have a problem finding someone," Tommy said.

_'Its not as easy as it sounds, there's a catch. This morpher will be more than any of us can handle. Because of the levels of radiation it pumps out, anyone whos ever worn a morpher before won't be able to control the power. We need someone who has never been a ranger before,'_ she mentioned.

"I think we know just the person. I'll meet you in the lab in three minutes," Jen said, making her way towards the exit.

"Where are you going?" Tommy asked.

"To get a volunteer," she said.

* * *

"You mean, we _destroyed_ all those worlds?" the green ranger sighed.

"I know, its hard for you to accept, but its true. The device you planted in the past wiped everything and everyone out. The cadets, the Silver Guardians, everything. Then, the device in the future destroyed everything there. The only reason that Time Force still exists is because of a dampening shield that prevents changes in the time line for affecting them. If that device goes off, it will be the end of everything," Adam explained.

"What will become of us?"

"Your morphers will probably shield you from the time shifts, but there will be nothing left. I'm not the expert here, but the shockwaves will knock the Earth off course and it will collide with other planets. There will be explosions, and that will be enough to destroy everything in this star system," he said.

"And you're certain of this?" the pink ranger asked.

"Positive."

"Could it be that Galen has been lying to us this entire time, simply using us to exact his revenge on Earth?" she inquired.

"Yes, and now, you're the only ones who can stop it from happening. Your parents will be killed unless we put an end to this now," he said.

The pink ranger walked over to him, and without warning, hit him over the side of the head with her helmet, knocking him unconscious. "I will not listen to his lies anymore. Galen would never lie to us, never," she snapped.

"Open your eyes, he _has_ been lying to us," the green ranger said.

"I can't believe you allowed yourself to fall for his lies! All of it is lies, and it stops now. Soon, the Earth will be cleansed, and mankind will live in peace," she said.

He shook his head. "No, it won't. We're responsible for killing all those people, all those innocent lives destroyed all to satisfy one man's obscure vision of what the future should be. I will have no part of it," he snapped.

"Galen _knew_ you would react this way, and now, you must be destroyed for your lack of loyalty," she said.

She stood her ground firmly, ready to make her move… but there was an explosion, shaking the entire ship.

"What was…"

"The rangers ship has been destroyed, and we have a hull breach," the pink ranger said, rushing over to the controls.

"How far as we from Earth?"

"Ten minutes at the most," she said.

"Seal the breach and contact Galen, tell me we will meet him in Time Force to witness his plan finally take shape," he said.

"You mean, you still believe in his vision?" she asked.

"I believe that Galen will witness first hand his vision come to pass, and I will be there to stop him," he said.

"I will warn him, you know that."

"Tell him what you must, but no more innocent lives will be destroyed in his name. I swear it," the green ranger said.

* * *

"You mean you want _me_ to be a ranger?"

Jen nodded. "Yes. None of us will be able to use it, it has to be someone who has never used a morpher before. I knew the second Camille told us that you would be the one to use the Omega morpher. You _have_ to do this, you have to avenge Alex's death. If we allow Galen's plan to succeed, we'll all be gone, and Alex's death will be for nothing," she told her.

She nodded. "I'll do it,"

Camille walked into the lab with a small, metal box under her arm. By the time she got there, Katie and Trip were already waiting for her.

"Nice trip?" Katie asked.

"I've had better. Do we have a volunteer?"

"Jen is bringing him soon," she said.

"Good," she set the metal box on the table, and Trip handed her the Omega morpher. She carefully opened the box, then, using what appeared to be tweezers, pulling the contents of the box out, placing it gently into the morpher. "Okay guy, here goes nothing," she said, activating the morpher.

It began to hum, and the lights around the side began to light up.

"You did it," Trip said.

"Don't send me flowers yet, we still need a volunteer," she said.

"I believe that's where _I_ come in," they heard a voice say.

The three of them turned around as Sierra walked into the lab.

* * *

"Guys, theres a ship on its way here. It matches the configuration of the renegade rangers ship. Whatever you have planned, now is the time," Tommy said, sitting in front of the controls in the science lab.

_'We're ready down here. The renegades won't know what hit'em. You sure we can't talk you out of this?' _Camille asked him over the open com signal.

"No, I have to do it," he said.

_'Fine. Don't try to raise the shields, just let the renegades in, we'll be ready,'_ she said.

"That's what you think," a voice said.

Before Tommy could respond, Galen materialized in front of him, hitting him over the head with a metal beam, knocking him to the floor. Then, Galen turned his attention to Lord Zedd.

"You're the last person I imagined I'd see here," he said.

"Funny, I thought you'd be taller," Zedd commented.

Galen rushed towards him, but Zedd sidestepped him, cocking back with his staff and swinging at him. Galen simply lifted up his hand, and it stopped the staff in mid air. No matter how hard Zedd tried to hit him, he couldn't move his arm.

"So, this is all the notorious Lord Zedd has to offer? I expected more," he said, flicking his wrist and sending Lord Zedd up against the wall.

With him out the way, Galen walked over to the device, which was still phased. He glanced down at it, admiring it. He knew that in less than nine minutes, his dream would finally be a reality, and there would be no one to stop him.

"You sorely under estimate me," Zedd said, aiming his staff at Galen, shooting a beam of energy. The beam connected with Galen's chest, but seemed to go right through him.

"Nice try," he said, extending his hands.

The energy beam Zedd shot at him seemed to be building in Galen's hand, and once it was a large enough size, he threw it towards Zedd. There was an explosion, and Galen had to shield his eyes from the blast.

"I'm amazed the rangers had such a hard time defeating him all the time," he groaned.

As Galen took another step towards the device, a beam of energy came from the smoke and dust, this time knocking Galen against the control panel in the lab. The dust settled, and Lord Zedd stepped through the smoke. "It'll take more than that to defeat me," he snapped.

Just then, both the green and pink rangers materialized in front of them.

"Will _this_ be enough?" he asked, then turned to the pink ranger. "Destroy him," he commanded.

The pink ranger nodded, then lunged after Lord Zedd. He swung his staff, but she spun around, ending up at his side, then kicked the staff, breaking it in half. As the two pieces flew into the air, she caught one, throwing it at him.

"You missed," Zedd scoffed as he easily dodged it.

"Did I?" she inquired.

Zedd glanced up, and the staff connected with a metal beam overhead, breaking it. The beam collapsed onto Zedd, sending him down to the floor. The pink ranger then picked up the second half of the staff, ready to stab him with it, but an energy beam caught her in the shoulder, knocking her back slightly.

"Time Force, you're under arrest," a voice said. She glanced up, only to see another pink ranger walk into the room with a disrupter in hand and a Time Force badge in the other. "Your time is up!"

The ranger was wearing a metallic armor of some kind, but even more advanced than her own. It seemed more silver than anything else, but there was a pink undertone to it. Although it appeared thin, it was obvious that the uniform itself wasn't made like the typical Time Force material.

"And who are you suppose to be?" the pink ranger snapped.

She reached for her disrupter and fired, but the beam passed through the mysterious ranger. Next, she went for a sabat kick, but her feet simply passed through the ranger again. This time, the ranger swung a backhand, knocking the pink ranger to the floor.

"Who… who are you?" she inquired.

"The Omega Ranger," she said proudly, lifting her foot, kicking the pink ranger in the gut. That was enough to knock her clear across the room as she landed in front of Galen and the green ranger.

"Destroy her," Galen repeated, this time ordering the green ranger.

"No," the green ranger dropped his disrupter. "I will not. You have lied to us Galen, and I will not participate in…" he was cut short as Galen flicked his wrist, shooting a beam of energy at him, knocking him to the floor.

"I guess I'll have to do this myself," he said, turning to the Omega Ranger. "Nothing will stop me achieving my goals, I've come too far," he snapped.

The Omega ranger walked towards him with purpose in her step. He shot several beams of energy at her, but they all passed through her with no problem. He tried for a kick, but she caught his foot, and then spun him around, sending him crashing into the wall.

At that moment, Jen and Katie rushed into the room, observing the damage. "Oh no, Tommy," Jen cried, racing over to him.

Galen stood up with a sinister smile on his face. "You fools, don't you think I prepared for this moment. I _knew_ you'd find a way to activate the Omega morpher, and now that you have, the intensity of my shockwave will be even more powerful, reaching to countless other worlds. You have doomed the universe!" he screamed.

"But you will be trapped here as well, you'll die along with us," Katie said.

"No, I won't. I have this," he pulled a small device from under his cloak. "It emits the same type of energy as morphers do. I will simply go back to my ship, and when the universe has been obliterated, I will be the soul survivor of the universe," he told them.

"I don't think so," Jen said, snatching the device off Tommy's belt and activated it. There was a humming sound for a moment, but it passed.

"I hope _that_ wasn't your ingenious plan to defeat me bitch!" he snapped.

The green ranger stared up at the phased device, noticing there was only ten seconds left on the counter. He noticed the look on Jen's face, the look of desperation and anguish. He'd seen that look before; the pink ranger… his sister, had looked at him that way before. When Galen originally approached the two of them and he explained Time Force had killed their parents in cold blood. They wanted nothing more than to get revenge on Time Force, but Galen told them the best way to avenge their parent's death would be to use their deaths as a catalyst for the new era of peace. Galen told them after they eliminated Time Force, the world would become a virtual paradise. It all sounded so good at the time, and neither one of them questioned it.

Now, he'd come to realize that it was all lies. Galen had used them in his selfish attempt to get revenge on Time Force, and they'd slaughtered innocent billions to achieve that goal. It sickened him to his stomach to think he could be so easily tricked, allowing himself to take everything Galen told him at face value. The past had been destroyed, his future had been destroyed, and within seconds, all of it would be gone. _'If only there was something I could do, some way to stop all this,_' he sighed inwardly. His sister was lying motionless on the floor covered in her own blood, several other Time Force officers he had seriously injured, including Tommy Oliver. _'Father,'_ he groaned to himself. _'All this pain and destruction, all these innocents lives wiped out to satisfy the need for revenge from one man,'_ he thought. He knew it was all his fault, that he was responsible for all those deaths, all that destruction. _'I must atone for my crime,_' he thought to himself.

At that moment, he realized what he had to do.

"Galen, your time is up!" the green ranger stumbled to his feet with half of Lord Zedd's staff in hand, inching his way towards Jen. "Forgive me… mother," he groaned.

With the last of his strength, he cocked back, stabbing Jen in the stomach…

… but he was too late…

… at that moment, there was a blinding light that seemed to fill the entire room, and suddenly, the entire world came to an end…


	38. Loose Ends

**_Disclaimer: _**_Power Rangers Time Force and all related logos are property of Saban/Disney Entertainment. I stand to make no money from this, but if I do, Disney is welcome to all of it. Camille Summers appears courtesy of Cmar (thank you for all your support throughout this entire series), Sierra Crane appears courtesy of well… Sierra Crane (I love you more than you know). Amanda Scotts, Sasha, Khalil Taylor and all the other faces you don't recognize belong to me. Use them without permission and I'll sue your ass!!_

**_A/N: _**_This chapter contains portions of "Endgame pt III" and makes reference to "Energy Troopers", which were introduced in a chapter called "Reality TV". This is the last chapter in this series. Thanks to all of you who stuck with me over the last two years!! I never would have made it this far without you._

_

* * *

_

_ Open your eyes…_

_ Open your eyes Kathryn…_

_ There was a sense of peace, a sense of tranquility that seemed to wash over her. Suddenly, there was no pain, no anger, no sorrow, nothing. All that remained was a feeling of joy, a feeling of an inner-peace she'd never experienced before._

_ Open your eyes Kathryn…_

_ Finally, she followed the instructions of the mystery voice. She opened her eyes slowly, only to discover she was in her quarters. There was no thought of what led her to that point, it didn't matter. She was in happy, truly happy. She stood up, walking into the main room, where _he_ was standing, waiting for her._

_ "Welcome," he said._

_ She'd clearly never seen this man before, but there was something about him, something familiar. He had a dark complexion, a bald head, and an all white beard that seemed to hang down over his chest. There were streaks in his beard, dark streaks, and he wore an all black robe of some kind._

_ "Who are you?"_

_ "I am Odek, and I am here to take you home," he told her._

_ "Home? I am home. This is my place."_

_ "No, your true home Kathryn. I am here to take you back to Ethros, back to your own people. Back to your family," he told her._

_ "My family is here, with the others."_

_ "In your heart, you know that isn't true."_

_ "Is it, they have become my family, all of them. I love them, and I would give my life for any of the."_

_ "You are our last hope Kathryn, we need you," he said._

_ "Need me? For what?"_

_ "You are the first of many of our species that have evolved into a single being. It was our intent that your mother would procreate with a human, producing a single being with all the inherent strength and abilities of an Ethros, but without the symbiotic being. You have achieved that, and you will usher in a new era for the Ethros race," he explained._

_ "But you said I was the first of many, why can't any of the others do what you need them to do?"_

_ "Because that was not our arrangement."_

_ "Arrangement?"_

_ "In exchange for the technology needed to save Earth, you were to come to us willingly, and remain with us for the rest of your natural life," he said._

_ "I never made that…" she paused, gathering her thoughts. Suddenly, memories began to wash over her. There was a battle, a huge battle… with the renegades. The universe was in danger, but they were able to stop them… "You... you're from the Fikus sector, aren't you?" she inquired._

_ He nodded. "Yes. It was I who sent you the visions to come to me, and I gave your friend the technology needed to defeat your enemies. Now, you must return with me so that our people will continue to survive," he told her._

_ "But… I have a life, here, on Earth. I have friends, a family," her thoughts shifted to Adam. "I have a boyfriend."_

_ "This must be done Kathryn. In your heart, you know that to be true. You alone will lead our people to greater things, marching us forward into a new generation, a new era for the Ethros," he pointed out._

_ "Wait," she began to remember even more. The device… the renegades… Alex… "Are my friends okay?"_

_ He nodded again. "Yes. When the green ranger killed his mother, it caused a paradox that wiped through the entire universe. By taking his own life before he was even born, all of his actions ceased to exist. Time has reverted back to a point before any of it ever happened," he explained._

_ "Then there's still a chance that it will happen again?"_

_ "It _has_ happened again, maybe times before. The choices we make dictate how history will unravel. In the previous attempts, you and your friends were unable to prevent the destruction of your universe. However, because of the technology I supplied your friends with, they were able to make minor changes. This will happen again Kathryn, and you have less than 24 hours to prevent it, or the cycle will begin again, and the human race will be put in harms way once more," he told her._

_ "What do I do? How do I stop it?"_

_ "I will tell you, but you must return with me when you have succeeded,"_

_ She knew that it was only a matter of time before the cycle would reset itself, and all of her friends would be put in danger again. Together, they'd been through invasions, saved countless parallel universes, discovered new worlds and traveled through time, and all of those accomplishments would mean nothing if she didn't do whatever she could to prevent this attack._

_ "How do you know I won't be able to prevent it without your help? The rangers and I have been through a lot together, and we'll make it through this one," she said._

_ "You are probably correct. Without the information I have for you, you surely would be able to prevent all of this from happening again, and you will no doubt save the human race again. However, it doing so, and not returning with me, you will doom the Ethros race. All that we have worked for over the last 20 years will be gone, and within the next century, we will be gone. Only the handful of you who were sent out into the universe will be left, scattered, lost, alone. I offer you the chance to unite your people, to bring them together in a way our elders never thought possible. Come with me Kathryn, it is your destiny," he explained._

_ She sighed. It was an impossible choice. Rather, it was a choice she didn't want to make. She had a chance to save not only the human race, but her race as well. All she had to do is leave behind everyone she'd ever known and loved… 'Adam,' she sighed inwardly._

_ "How long do I have?"_

_ "You have twenty four hours to do what you must, and then you must accompany me to our world," he said._

_ She sighed. "I'll be ready."_

_ "Very well," Odek said._

There was a flash of light, and when it subsided, Katie found herself in her quarters. _'Was it all a dream?'_ she thought, hoping she could justify it by saying it was. But, in her heart, she knew it wasn't.

Now, memories began to come back to her even more quickly. Details of the final battle, how it was all prevented, everything. She wondered if there was anyone else who have knowledge of the events, anyone who would somehow remember any of it.

Then it occurred to her…

"Computer, locate Lt. Nadira," she said.

_'Nadira is in her quarters,'_ the computer answered.

Without a second thought, Katie rushed out of her room, making her way through the halls on her way to Nadira's quarters.

* * *

_ "Doc, why is Alex so cold?" she inquired._

_ The doctor stepped towards Alex, grabbing the white sheet he was laying under, and pulled it over his face. "I'm sorry, but there was nothing I could do for him," he sighed._

_ Sierra dropped to her knees. "No, it can't be," she cried._

_ "He lost a lot of blood, and there were serious internal injuries," he told her._

_ At that point, Sierra wasn't listening. She got to back to her feet, snatching the sheet away from and began to shake him. "You can't be dead, get up. You have to get up!" she screamed._

_ Dr. Young grabbed her, pulling her away. "I'm sorry," he sighed._

_ "There has to be something you can do, something that can bring him back. What about that sphere thing? The sphere of Omara? Can't we use that to bring him back?" she cried._

_ "No, it was simply his time to go. I'm sorry," he repeated._

_ "There was so much I wanted to tell you," she cried, laying on the examining table next to him, wrapping her arms around him as she rocked back and forth. "I love you so much Xander," she cried._

She sat up in a cold sweat, her sheets clung to her, and she was breathing heavily. After taking a moment to calm down, she chalked all of it up to simply being a bad dream. _'It all seemed so vivid, so real,'_ she recalled.

The attack, the renegade rangers, Xander being killed, her becoming a ranger, it all seemed real. There were sounds, smells, emotions, all of it. She'd experienced it all, but it couldn't be true?

Could it?

She slid out of bed, and as soon as she stepped in front of the mirror, she noticed two slender pieces of metal strapped to each of her wrists. "The Omega Morpher," she sighed. "It _did_ happen," she mumbled out loud.

"But why do I remember it all?"

She was convinced that when the device was activated, the radiation in her morpher would be blocked, and when the time line was altered, she would be altered along with it. _'The Omega Morpher must not have been affected,'_ she thought. It was the only logical explanation.

"Oh God, Xander," she screamed, racing out her quarters on her way to check on Alex.

She arrived in the infirmary a few minutes later, but there was no sign of him. In fact, the infirmary was pretty much empty. There were a few lab techs, but no patients to be seen. She turned to walk away, which is when she saw Dr. Young.

"Doc, where is Xander?"

"Commander Collins should be in his office, I believe," he said.

"You mean, he hasn't been in here?"

"Not for weeks. That man is as healthy as an ox," he pointed out.

Again, without a word, she rushed out the room, bolting towards Xander's office.

* * *

Alex sat behind his desk, going through the files on his computer. _'Hmmmmm,' _he murmured, glancing over the files again. Strangely enough, he had the feeling he'd read the personnel file before, but couldn't remember when. He quickly dismissed the thought, and returned to his work.

_'Tommy to Alex, come in,'_ a voice said.

Alex reached for his morpher. "What is it Tommy?"

_"We were all going to get together in about an hour in my quarters to watch a movie. Are you interested?" _he inquired.

"A movie? Surely you don't mean on a viewing unit of some kind," he said.

_"That's the same thing Jen said. I know it would be much better if I uploaded it to one of the holographic simulation rooms_, _but there's nothing like getting together with your friends and watching TV," _he mentioned.

The very sound of it seemed primitive. _'People sitting around a small, box shaped screen and watching events unfold, rather than be able to participate in them in one of the simulation rooms,'_ he thought to himself.

"What is it we're supposed to be watching?"

_"We went on a mission a few months back to that world where Power Rangers was a television show. Well, Katie downloaded all the files for that world, so tonight, we're watchin' Mighty Transforming Energy Troopers," _he told him.

"You can't be serious."

_"Very serious. Tonight we're going to watch an episode from Energy Troopers: Time Squad," _he brought up.

"Sorry Tommy, thanks for the invitation, but I think I'll pass," he said.

_"Well, if you change your mind, we're going to start at 2100 hours. You're more than welcome to stop by,"_ he said.

"Thanks. Alex out," he said, turning back to his work.

Before he could get anything done, the door to his office flew open, and Sierra rushed in. "Oh Xander," she cried, rushing over to him and wrapping her arms around him. Her momentum was enough to knock the chair he was sitting in backwards, and the two of them fell to the floor.

"Sierra, what are…"

She cut him short, leaning in and kissing him warmly on the lips. "We've wasted a lot of time Xander, missed out on a lot, but we've been given a second chance. Lets not waste this one," she told him.

"But what…"

She cut him off again, kissing him gently on the lips. "Just say it, say we won't let our chance pass up by again," she said.

"I promise."

* * *

"You remember it all, don't you?" Katie asked her.

She nodded. "Its like a different set of memories. I remember how it all happened, but I remember it happening another way, too," Nadira told her.

"We have to stop it before it can happen again. Think, where did the first signs of the Final Battle start?" she inquired.

"I don't know for sure," she paused. "Computer, what is today's date?" she asked.

_'Today is Tuesday, March 17th, 3002,' _the computer responded.

"March? That was almost three months ago," Katie said.

"The time shift must have brought us back three months. All we have to do is stop whatever it is that triggered the Final Battle," she said.

"I think we already have. We're already doing things differently, and each of these little changes will prevent what ultimately led up to the renegades coming here," she mentioned.

"So that's it? We're done?"

"I think so. But, to be on the safe side, if there's a distress call from the Leorians again, we won't answer it," she said.

"So do you think anyone else knows?"

"Trip and his sister might, but I doubt it. The only other person who may remember any of it is Sierra. We'll have to talk to her to be sure, make sure that she does things a little differently too," she brought up.

"So are you coming?" Nadira asked, changing the subject.

"Where?"

"We're all going to Tommy's quarters to watch an episode of that reality show we downloaded a few months ago," she said.

"Energy Troopers? No thank you,"

"Come on, it'll be fun. Besides, when was the last time we were all together and there wasn't any imminent doom to worry about?" she asked.

Katie knew she was right. Besides, she also knew that this may be the last time she ever got a chance to be with all of her friends again. She knew that in less that 24 hours, she'd be leaving… and she wouldn't be able to come back.

"You know, you're right, sounds like fun," she said.

* * *

"I have run internal and external sensor sweeps of the entire lab, including the entire deck. I have also checked all security logs, surveillance and questions personnel that were assigned to the lab in the last 36 hours. There is no indication that anyone was in here without authorization," KJ told her.

"There has to be something we're overlooking," Camille groaned, pacing back and forth. "The Omega Morpher is gone, and we have to find it before it falls into the wrong hands."

"When we the last time you saw it?"

"I was in here last night working on it. Lt. Emery was here, but we locked it up before we left. We have to find it, you have no idea what could happen if…" she was cut short as Alex walked into the room.

"Ms. Summers, cadet," he said cheerfully.

"Commander Collins, you appear to be in a… pleasant mood today," KJ pointed out.

"As a matter of fact, I am. KJ, could you excuse Camille and I for a moment, we need to talk," he said.

"Of course," she turned to Camille. "I will run another sensor sweep from the main lab and report my findings to you," she said, then made her way out the lab.

"Alex, before you say anything, you need to know that the Omega Morpher is…" she was cut short.

"I have the morpher," he told her.

"What? How?"

"There was a time shift, a big one, and the time line has been altered. The only person that I know of that retained any memory of the event is Sierra, and that's because she was wearing the Omega Morpher," he said.

"But… how did she get it?"

"According to her report, _you_ gave it to her. I'll let you read the report, but afterwards, it will be destroyed. Whatever happened in the previous time line, it was bad, very bad, and we have to ensure that it doesn't happen again," he said.

"The morpher is on line?" she asked.

"Yes, apparently you found a power source for it. Like I said, it's all in the report. I'm allowing the senior staff to take a look at it in the morning, but tonight, we have other things to deal with," he said.

"Like what?"

"I believe we all have a movie to watch," Alex said.

* * *

"Do you think this is enough popcorn honey?" Tommy asked he as carried two giant bowls full of popcorn into the living room, sitting them down on the table.

"That's enough popcorn to last us a month," she pointed out, sitting down on the couch slowly.

"Too much?"

"A little."

Just then, the doors to their quarters slid open as Trip and Camille walked into the room.

"Hey guys, I brought popcorn," Trip said eagerly.

"Just set it over there with the other 20 pounds of popcorn," Jen laughed.

"We're not too late, are we?" Camille asked.

"Nope, you're right on time. Have a seat, we'll be starting in a minute," Tommy said.

Trip say on the couch, but Camille couldn't help but admire the television Tommy had. "What is it? Early 21st century technology? 25, maybe 27 inch color screen, remote control, bunny rabbit antenna. Wow Tommy, even a videocassette recorder. I knew you were a history buff, but this is going a little too far," she said.

"The TV we had in the clock tower was more up to date," Jen added.

"It's a replica of the TV I had when I stayed in my Uncle's cabin outside Angel Grove," Tommy commented.

The doors slid open again, and this time, Katie and Adam walked in hand in hand.

"Hey everyone," Katie said, glancing around the room at them.

"See honey, I told you we didn't need to bring popcorn," Adam mentioned, sitting down in the chair next to the couch. Katie quickly positioned herself in his lap.

"Jen, is your sister and her friends coming?" Trip asked.

"No, they're all studying for their exam I'm giving them tomorrow. Besides, I kinda wanted it to be _just us,_" she said.

Finally, the doors slid open again, and this time, Alex and Sierra walked in. "I'm still invited, right?" Alex asked.

"Of course, both of you are. Have a seat," Tommy said.

The two of them quickly found a seat. "Lights dim," Jen called out, and the lights responded by getting dimmer.

Tommy sat down next to Jen, wrapping his arm around her, then reaching for the remote control. The room quieted as they watched the opening credits; a series of scenes featuring rangers in outfits very similar to theirs. There were major differences, though.

"Whats up with that theme song?" Sierra asked.

* * *

** ­(((_Enengy Troopers (long humming sound)_**

**_ Rushing to another time, energy converters are online_**

**_ Fearing soldiers, on a mission_**

**_ Who vowed to save the world…_**

****

**_ Time time time for Energy Troopers_**

**_ Time time time for Energy Troopers_**

**_ Time time time for Energy Troopers_**

****

****

** _Energy Troopers… GOOOOOOO!)))_**

_

* * *

_

"Oh my God that was corny!" Adam blurted out.

"It's not too far off the truth. I mean, the uniforms kinda look like ours," Trip muttered softly, grabbing a hand of popcorn.

However, he changed his mind when the image of a huge, humanoid, robot-like thing came on.

"What the hell is _that_?" Tommy exclaimed.

"It's _supposed _to be a zord, I guess."

"A zord? That? But it's so obviously a guy in a cardboard robot costume…!"

"Shhhh. Lets just watch."

* * *

** A large warehouse stood in the heart of the city, surrounded by tall towers, reaching for the sky. A few flying cars buzzed around it, more zoomed up from the streets on the ground. Vehicles and troops in white uniforms, in what appeared to be some sort of siege, surrounded the warehouse. An improbably pink sky hung above.**

_** Inside the warehouse, a man stood at the window, chuckling to himself fiendishly. For a few moments all that was visible was his tall, broad back, and long black hair. Then he turned around and began laughing even more fiendishly.**_

****

**_ "I don't see what you have to laugh about, Kansik!" a voice cried. A red-suited figure stepped out into the open and struck a proudly heroic pose._**

****

**_ "Why am I laughing? Why am I laughing??" Kansik stopped, looking puzzled, scratching his head slightly. "Why am I laughing? Oh, well. Come to stop me, have you? Well, you have no idea what you're up against!" He reached a hand over his shoulder, and began to pull on a spike apparently growing out of his skin. Disgustingly, it came out, attached to a sword._**

****

**_ "Holy-" the Red Trooper exclaimed. "Doesn't that hurt?"_**

****

**_ "Well, now that you mention it, yeah... thanks for asking..." Kansik then swung the sword around his head and charged forward with a roar at the Red Trooper, who leaped into the air and went into a midair spin over his head._**

* * *

"And what the heck was that?" Tommy asked again. "What is he, on strings or something?"

"Looks like it," Trip said, chuckling.

"What's with the swords, anyway? Do they really think we still use stuff like that, when we can just blast the hell out of..."

"Hey, look! Now they're using blasters!"

**

* * *

**

** The Red Trooper was indeed using a blaster, as he leaped an impossibly long distance. The shot hit a pile of boxes, resulting in a massive explosion. The view switched to outside the building, the windows bursting out in a very impressive display of flame and smoke.**

* * *

"Well, so much for the Red _Trooper_ and _Kansik_," Tommy commented, grinning at Alex.

"I have a feeling he survived. I did, after all." Alex brought up.

"Survived that explosion? Not a chance."

"You should have seen the real thing. Much worse."

"You're so full of..."

But the screen was proving Alex right…

* * *

**_ The Red Trooper staggered out of the building, shoving a defeated Kansik ahead of him. Moments later he was demorphed, a happily smiling Jan throwing herself into his arms. As they watched she hugged him tightly, her hands straying down..._**

* * *

"What? That's me!" Jen exclaimed.

"Actually, the characters name is Jan Scottly," Tommy mentioned.

"What am she doing? I would never grope Alex like that in public!" The others had dissolved in laughter, as the Alex on screen firmly disengaged himself, swiftly dodging another grab.

"So you'd grope him like that in _private_?" Katie asked.

"Shut up!"

"Oh come on Jen, have a sense of humor," she insisted.

"I guess your double is a little hard up!" Lucas gasped.

"Not to mention horny!" Trip added.

"Well... you'd think they'd edit stuff like that out! This is supposed to be a kid's show!"

"It had a very small budget. I think they couldn't afford to reshoot things. Just figured the kids wouldn't understand..."

"Hmmph. I think we can just skip this part..." Jen waved the remote control, letting a considerable portion of the show go by. "Let's get to the part where the rest of us become Rangers."

"She just wants to see Wes," Tommy said in a stage whisper.

"Shut up, _sweetheart_."

When the picture returned to normal speed, four people -- Jan, Kitty, Luke, and a very overweight Skip -- were standing in the middle of a city street, facing Kansik, Shadira, and Frex, along with a gang of cyclokons. As the camera panned, another person, a blond version of Alex, came into view.

"Is that suppose to be Wes?" Katie asked.

"It's the same guy who played the red Energy Trooper. Geez, this guys couldn't even afford to hire two different actors," Alex groaned.

**_

* * *

_**

**_ "Is it too late to help?" Les asked, grimly staring at the mutants._**

****

**_ Jan took his hand and slapped the red morpher into it. "It's yours," she said, meanwhile grabbing at his crotch. He avoided her expertly and placed the morpher on his wrist._**

* * *

"Oh, my God..." Jen said, hiding her eyes. "I can't believe this..."

"Oh, my God!" Trip yelled. "Just look at me!"

"You to lay off the chocolate fungus rolls!" Lucas said between howls of laughter.

_

* * *

_

**_ The five of them fell into position, Jan in front. "Ready?" she asked._**

**_"Ready!" they all said. "Its transformin' time... Energy Troopers Go!"_**

** _Several very flashy and bizarre visuals followed, showing each Ranger transforming in a whirl of light and what appeared to be DNA strands. When they were over, the five stood in full Ranger suits, staring down at themselves. Trip had suddenly and miraculously lost at least fifty pounds. Katie had suddenly become a few inches taller, and that wasn't the only thing about her that had changed._**

**

* * *

**

"Look!" Camille said. "They're not even on the same street as before! What's up with that?"

"That's their morphin' call? God, I see why no one had any respect for this show," Nadira said.

"Actually, the show survived for almost twenty years before it was finally canceled. Most of the actors didn't get much work after their season was canceled though," Tommy mentioned.

"Glad to see you went on that diet, Trip!" Lucas choked.

"Shut up," Trip advised him. "And what do _you_ have stuffed down your pants? Socks?"

"Hey, that's all me!"

"Speaking of which... Oh my God... look at Katie... isn't that... and where's her chest...?" The rest was drowned out by more laughter.

"Shut up," Katie blushed.

"Come on Katie, have a sense of humor," Jen mocked.

When they were able to focus on the screen again, the fight was over. The Troopers had demorphed, Trip had regained his extra weight, and they were having an argument.

**

* * *

**

** _"I don't know about you guys, but I could sure go for a pizza," Skip said, rubbing his stomach._**

****

**_ "Me too," Luke said, scratching his crotch. _**

****

**_ "Let the creatures in this time beware, the Energy Troopers are here to arrest then and take them back to our own time, to take them back to the future," Jan proclaimed._**

* * *

"If Michael J. Fox pulls up in a Dolarian, I quit," Adam commented.

"Hey Katie, suddenly Trip has bigger boobs than you now," Lucas pointed out, getting a round of laughs from the group.

"Yeah, and suddenly you look a lot smaller," she mentioned.

Lucas blushed.

****

**_

* * *

_**

**_ "Wow, that was so great!" Les was shouting enthusiastically. "I can't wait to do it again!"_**

****

**_ "You won't get the chance to," Jan said grimly. She grabbed Les's arm and twisted it, yanking the morpher off. Wes neatly sidestepped as she grabbed at his ass at the same time._**

* * *

"Oh, I can't watch this anymore..." Jen jumped up, turned off the screen with the remote, ejected the recording, tossed it on the floor, and stomped on it.

"Come on Jen, it wasn't _that_ bad," her husband pointed out.

"Yeah, I wanted to see if _Skip_ would defeat Kansik if just sat on him," Lucas laughed.

"The acting was bad, the special effects were cheesy, and ranger uniforms was just spandex, and the zords were just guys in big robot suits. And don't even get me started on the mutants," she snapped. "God, no wonder people on that world didn't take Power Rangers seriously,"

"It wasn't Power Rangers, it was _Energy Troopers_. There's a difference,"

"This is just as bad as the time Japan did a spoof series of the Dino Thunder rangers in the 21st century. They're purposely making a mockery of what we do," Jen snapped.

"Its just all in good fun Jen," Alex said. "Lighten up."

Tommy leaned over, inspecting the damage to the tape. "Looks like this one is ruined. I have more though. Who wants to watch Mighty Transformin' Geo: The movie?" he asked.

"I'd love to, but I need to be going," Katie said as she stood up.

"Okay, maybe another time," he said.

"Yeah, maybe…" she sighed, walking out the room.

Adam, realizing there was something wrong, followed out after her.

He managed to catch up with her in the hallway before she could get onto one of the turbolifts.

"Katie, what's wrong?" he asked.

She paused. "Adam, do you love me?" she inquired.

"Of course I do."

"I have something I have to go, somewhere I have to go. I don't know how long I'll be gone, but I swear to you that I'll be back… someday," she said with a tear in her eye.

"Wait a minute, what's going on?" he asked.

"I can't go into detail, this is just something I have to do," she removed her morpher, handing it to him. "Take care of this until I get back," she said.

"Why can't I just come with you?"

She shook her head. "I have to do this alone," she stepped into the turbolift. "I'm sorry," she sighed just as the doors were closing.

"Goodbye," he sighed.

**

* * *

****The end?

* * *

**


End file.
